The Comprehensive Aged Residents Emergency partners in Assessment Care and Treatment Program (CARE-PACT) is a unique demand management program in Metro South Health that focuses on streamlining and educating the care pathway for the frail elderly residents of aged care. This comprehensive bespoke service has grown significantly in response to the COVID pandemic and fluctuating demands in the community. facilities.
CAREPACT delivers a multifaceted program that works in partnership with Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs), General Practitioners (GPs) and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in providing a centralised contact for clinical support, resources, and education, with a focus on streaming and educating the care pathway for the frail elderly RACF residents. It also provides a central contact for acutely unwell RACF residents to allow specialist review or consultation.
CAREPACT strives to ensure that the RACF resident can receive the most suitable care for their needs in a timely manner and in the most appropriate environment.
There are seven main components to the CARE-PACT model of care.
- Emergency support line – A dedicated, single point of contact to discuss and refer acutely unwell RACF residents to specialist care.
- Mobile emergency team (MET) – the emergency team provides emergency department-equivalent care for residents when their health deteriorates.
- Nurse navigator – Our nurse navigator streamlines the care pathway for frail residents to reduce unnecessary hospital stays and improve resident outcomes.
- Inreach clinical nursing team - the in-reach teams coordinate and plan early discharges for residents in emergency departments or when they’re admitted to hospital. They include specially trained clinical nurses who are based at 4 hospitals in Metro South Health.
- Hospital acute care substitution – We provide hospital standard acute care for residents in aged facilities who meet Queensland Health’s Hospital in the Home guidelines criteria.
- Clinical education and support for RACF staff - We worked with GPs, RACFs and inpatient specialist staff to develop a best practice management manual for acute health concerns (RaSS Clinical Handbook). The handbook will help you decide when to refer your patient to CAREPACT or whether to replace their current services. We also GPs arrange emergency care for their patients or decide when they might need other services and care.
- GP and paramedic direct referral line - We have a direct line for GPs and paramedics to refer patients to CAREPACT or talk to an emergency doctor or geriatrician instead of transferring a patient to hospital.
