Page 3639 - Week 10 - Thursday, 19 September 2019
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MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Dunne for the question. It is a challenge across health systems around people being able to be discharged to appropriate residential aged-care facilities. It is a challenge for the hospital that often appropriate residential aged-care facilities are not available when people are ready for discharge. To the greatest extent possible obviously we want to move people out of hospitals into appropriate residential aged-care facilities where a bed is available. In the ACT there is a shortage of residential aged-care facilities and beds and that is the responsibility of the federal government. They are responsible for funding aged care.
We work very closely with all players across the health sector to ensure that people can be discharged from hospital in a timely way but also that they receive health care in residential aged-care facilities to prevent them from coming into hospital when that is not necessary.
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what is the average number of days a patient spends in an ACT hospital before moving to permanent residential care services after they have been assessed?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I thank Mrs Dunne for the question. I will take that question on notice and come back to the Assembly with the answer.
MR WALL: Minister, how many residential care beds are currently available to support patients transitioning from hospital in the region, and who determines what is classified as a suitable bed?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: Again I will take that question on notice, acknowledging that the provision of residential aged care is a commonwealth responsibility. It is something that we are monitoring closely in terms of ensuring that older people in the ACT have an appropriate place to be discharged to.
This is complex. People may also want a residential aged care place that is close to their home, close to their community, close to their family. There is a whole range of details that need to be taken into account in terms of discharging people. I will come back with some further information to the Assembly on notice.
Hospitals—aged-care beds
MR WALL: My question is to the Minister for Health. Minister, what is the cost to ACT Health per bed day of keeping a patient in hospital while they seek or wait for a permanent residential aged care space?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I will take that question on notice in terms of the detail but I note that the cost of an individual patient is going to vary depending on their individual needs. I am not sure that we will have a figure that is an average cost for that particular group of patients who are in a particular situation requiring transition to residential aged care. If we have that information I will bring it back to the Assembly, noting that people will have different levels of acuity and different levels of support requirements. The average day cost for each of those individuals may differ.
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