Discharge plans are not always put in place, leaving older people stuck in hospital. File photo. Photo: 123rf
The fractured aged care system is in dire need of an overhaul, with older people regularly being left in hospital with nowhere to go, according to a new report.
The report by the Aged Care Commissioner sets out 20 recommendations to improve the quality of care for elderly people.
A key recommendation is better transitions of care between hospital to home and community support services and aged residential care.
Aged Care Commissioner Carolyn Cooper said discharge plans were not always put in place, leaving older people stuck in hospital.
"Older people have told us they've been stuck in public hospitals because they have not been able to go home and have home, community support.
"They may have deconditioned or lost weight while they've been in hospital, and they've socially been isolated... It causes a real challenge around quality of life."
She said some people did get sent home after a hospital visit, but often there was no home care plan in place.
"I know providers try and do their very best. But it's the older person that I'm advocating for, their health and disability services to be what they need, where they need it and it's not happening at times."
Cooper said many older people could have avoided the hospital, but they could not get an appointment with a GP.
She said long wait times, commuting distance and declining numbers of rural GPs were limiting access to primary care for older people, among other things.
"Most GPs don't have long appointments and older people have a need for a longer time in a GP surgery so there's other ways we're suggesting GPs could do that."
Cooper said the strain on the health workforce had meant fewer people were going to work in aged care.
"I think the pay and conditions are an aspect that has caused that issue. There is work being done but it's not quick enough. We need to see that there is a real focus on the workforce for older people wherever they may receive services across that entire system."
The commissioner said access to care for older people was patchy across the country. Some regions have good, accessible services - while others do not.
She said it was critical that care for older people was properly integrated and coordinated between public and private service providers.
"They need good access to primary care in a way that's timely for them, they need to have access to home and community support if it's necessary and they need to have access into aged residential care too.
"To see older people as the highest users in the health system, not having a really high focus from the powers at be is really challenging."
She said a nationwide targeted strategy for aged care and government investment was needed to make this happen.
Key recommendations:
- For workforce planning by Te Whatu Ora to include actions that contribute to a sustainable aged care workforce
- Supporting and monitoring actions outlined in the Dementia Mate Wareware Action Plan
- Valuing primary and community care, especially GP clinics, as critical partners with priority investment in changing models of primary and community care