The Malinauskas Labor Government has opened an extra 55 beds for elderly patients at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, as it is putting forward practical proposals for the Federal Government to do more to fix its national aged care crisis.
The 55 additional beds at Hampstead have come online following refurbishment works at the centre, after Labor reversed a decision by the former Liberal Government to close the beds.
The extra beds form part of a new 70-bed specialised care and bridging service for older South Australians transitioning out of hospital – impacted by the severe shortage of federal aged care beds.
The Care of the Older Person and Community Transition (CO-ACT) service has been introduced under a staged approach with the model of care developed through extensive consultation with clinicians, unions, patients and their families.
Comprising 50 beds for eligible older patients blocked waiting for federal aged care and 20 beds focused on low complexity Memory Support Unit patients, the inclusion of some existing services means 55 extra beds have been added to the health system.
Patients are provided with multidisciplinary care including nursing, allied health, and lifestyle programs and 24/7 access to medical staff including geriatricians and General Practitioners. There are individual and shared bedrooms, gardens, shared dining, and activity rooms.
There is also a unique specialised Community Brokerage and Placement team which works with patients, staff, family and friends in planning the discharge to either home or to Commonwealth aged care support.
The Hampstead site was slated and budgeted to be sold by the former Liberal Government, a decision that would have stripped the health system of a crucial health site and beds at a time when demand continues to increase.
There are currently 241 elderly patients stuck in hospital ready for discharge but waiting for a Federal Government aged care bed.
In the last few years, there has been little change in the total number of federal aged care beds despite the growth in the older demographic, leading to demand for aged care placements outstripping supply.
This has resulted in a large increase in patients staying in acute care longer than required while awaiting a placement.
South Australia currently has the lowest vacancy rate for aged care beds in the country, and has recorded a 161 per cent increase in patients stuck in metropolitan hospitals between October 2023 and April of this year.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has developed ten policy proposals – four requiring new funding and six requiring policy reform – for the Federal Government to implement.
These initiatives include new funding for patients with complex needs due to cognitive impairment, the broadening of capital funding programs to metropolitan areas, expansion of the existing respite program and reforming funding models and quality standards to incentivise private providers to support complex patients.
More information on the Hampstead CO-ACT Program can be found here.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
As a government we are pulling every lever to deliver a bigger health system with more capacity to treat those in need.
We are delivering hundreds of extra doctors, nurses, ambos, allied health professionals, and of course beds.
Today alone we're delivering 55 extra beds at Hampstead.
But the truth is today we also have 241 patients in our hospitals who do not need to be there.
We need the Federal Government to step up to do its part.
As put by Chris Picton
We are building a bigger health system, including opening these 55 extra beds at Hampstead for older South Australians waiting to secure a Federal Government aged care bed.
This is in stark contrast to the Liberals who wanted to sell off this important health hub and close beds.
Right now there are 241 older patients medically ready for discharge stuck in our hospitals awaiting a Federal residential aged care bed. We continue to call on the Federal Government to address this critical issue, but we are also putting forward proactive policy proposals on how they can do this.
As put by Acting CALHN Chief Executive Officer, Rachael Kay
We are thrilled that works are now complete at Hampstead, bringing the additional 55 beds to our health system to support older South Australians.
The home-like setting, built around a model of care which comprises of a multidisciplinary team, ensures that consumers are receiving holistic care while we support their transition to longer-term arrangements.
Consumers can access the care they need in a comfortable, fresh space while family and friends work to identify a suitable Commonwealth aged care placement for them.
