Elderly hospital patients recover in the
comfort of home

Transitional Care plays a valuable role in the healthcare sector. Many Opal HealthCare Care Communities partner with local hospitals to provide transitional care for elderly hospital patients who no longer require acute hospital care but are not well enough to return home.

This reduces the pressure on hospital resources, especially during peak winter months, and means there are more hospital beds available for people in the community in urgent need of acute care. It also provides elderly patients with a supportive recuperation experience in a caring and homely environment that is well suited to their individual care needs.

As featured in our 2020 Social Impact Report, four Opal HealthCare Care Communities on the Central Coast in NSW participated in the Care Awaiting Placement Program (CAPP) in 2020, caring for elderly patients who needed support while recuperating from illness. This translated to over 1,500 hospital beds made available to people on the Central Coast.

"Killarney Vale Care Community welcomed 12 patients through the CAPP in 2020 and it’s a real privilege for us to be part of their care story, says Deanna Lomas, General Manager Killarney Vale Care Community.

"Once they’ve been in hospital for so long, it’s great to be able to offer them a welcoming and homely environment, where their care can continue for as long as they need, in a space that feels safe and friendly, with home cooked meals, lovely gardens and lake views. Should they find themselves needing to stay more permanently, through this program we’ve already taken much of the unknown away from the transition process."

In Victoria, Epping Meadows Care Community has a similar arrangement which alleviates pressure on local hospitals and in 2020 amounted to almost 4,000 hospital beds available for urgent acute care. This was even more significant given the prolonged COVID wave in Victoria last year.

These programs also help to familiarise patients with the residential care environment, which is important in the event that they are not able to return to their own home to live unassisted. Our flexible and responsive approach to community need through offering transitional care means the burden of care on families can be relieved, knowing their loved ones’ care can be continued in a safe environment with clinical expertise at hand.