Two free webinars looking at how we might better optimise already deployed funding and new technology to actually move the dial on delivering some connectedness to our aged care sector.
“You can’t just sprinkle some new technology over aged care and expect patient-centred care to suddenly start sprouting green shoots somehow” – Michelle O’Brien, digital health consultant.
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On 4 July 2024 the Department of Health and Aged Care set out the vision for embracing innovation and harnessing the power of data and digital technologies to improve the care and wellbeing of older people in Australia.
The focus is on preserving choice and leveraging technology to make in-person and face-to-face services more accessible and efficient.
DoHAC’s vision was that aged care workers and service providers would benefit from improved use of aged care data and a reduction in administrative burden, increasing the time workers can spend on direct, person-centred care for older people.
This was followed up by the Australian government’s announcements of historic aged care reforms with an ambitious vision of ensuring the viability and quality of aged care, to support growing numbers of older Australians choosing to retain their independence and remain in their homes as they age.
This is a bold and optimistic vision for ageing Australians, but will it work and how will this translate to the delivery of high-quality person-centred care to an isolated cohort?
Our health system was designed a long time ago around a younger patient cohort with a funding paradigm designed to handle acute care not chronic care management.
Many of the challenges that exist today as a result of changing demographics and system needs were not even conceived of even 10 years ago.
Australians are now ageing with chronic disease, living longer, dependent on long-term medications to keep them functioning, and losing their independence, mobility and cognitive impairment.
Health literacy is low due to the lack of investment in prevention and as we live longer our ability to budget for our own healthcare costs is declining. Most of them can’t access their own clinical history.
Demand for beds in residential aged care is high while our healthcare workforce to care and support them is declining. Cost of living pressures mean families are unable to care for children and their ageing parents, so they are being forced into institutional care.
While we are seeing attempts to address this gap the reality is delivering patient-centred care to our ageing population is fraught with hurdles.
The aged care system sits near-marooned outside the health system and the buck is passed in all directions.
In partnership with Visionflex, Health Services Daily has brought together a team of thought leaders in the sector for two webinars in the lead-up to the Canberra Towards One Health System Summit, to discuss what might be required from the system to build out effective person-centred care to our vulnerable ageing population.
Webinar 1 will discuss the aged care data and digital strategy that delivered innovative technologies into residential aged care facilities via PHN-commissioned funding with the goal of improving the care and wellbeing of older people in Australia – its focus being on preserving choice and leveraging technology to make in-person and face-to-face services more accessible and efficient.
PHNs were funded to commission telehealth services through the Telehealth in Residential Aged Care Facilities program to improve access to healthcare for the elderly in its region.
As a part of this funding, Visionflex technology was deployed in over 500 residential aged care across Australia via the Aged Care Data and Digital Strategy via the PHNs nominally giving each facility a virtual care platform to talk to outside providers.
Webinar One will explore the opportunities and challenges of how this funding has been used so far. We have invited Julie Sturgess, CEO of Country to Coast PHN, Bettina McMahon, CEO of Healthdirect, Dr Paresh Dawda, CEO of Prestantia Health, and Joshua Mundey, CEO of Visionflex.
Webinar 2 will explore the role of connected care in delivering patient-centred health and social care to our ageing population.
While we hear a lot about digital innovation to support the delivery of care in residential aged care and care in the home, the reality is nothing is connected, the funding models don’t support team-based care and we are all still working in silos.
So how do we deploy technology and align policy to break down these silos to deliver this person-centred care that we keep including in our vision statements, to get our GPs, specialists, allied health, hospitals, ambulances and urgent care working together to make it a reality?
Joining us for the second webinar will be Bettina McMahon, CEO of Healthdirect, Anja Nikolic, CEO of the AIDH, Sarah Barter Boar, Director of Sydney North Health Network, Dr Alam Youseff, Board Director of Murrumbidgee PHN, and Joshua Mundey, CEO Visionflex. Moderated by Jeremy Knibbs
To register for the webinars click here for Webinar 1 and here for Webinar 2.
If you have any questions you can contact Talia at talia@medicalrepublic.com.au