"Making Health Choices: Advance care planning in aged care"
This pilot project is being undertaken in aged care services in the MGPN area from August 2010 to April 201 1. It is being implemented by Respecting Patient Choices® and funded by the Department of Health and Ageing.
Advance care planning gives people an opportunity to say what sort of medical treatment, and other care, they would want if they became seriously ill and unable to express their views. The need for advance care planning in residential aged care is based on the principle that this should be an integral component of the planning for the care of older persons in residential aged care services. This was recommended in the National Health & Hospital Reform Commission Report in 2009.
The aim of the project is to implement Best Practice Advance Care Planning into residential aged care services through an education program about both advance care planning and end of life care.
This model was successfully implemented in the north-eastern district of Melbourne in 2004-05. The result was a respect for > 90% of end-of-life wishes expressed by residents of residential aged care facilities (RACFs), delivery of palliative care and a
significant reduction in the transfer of residents from RACFs to hospital to die.
The Respecting Patient Choices® Advance Care Planning model incorporates four major components: organisation and system change; advance care planning education and training; implementation; and quality improvement.
The training of staff from selected aged care services in Western Metropolitan geographic divisions will include 3 one-day workshops.
The project Stakeholders are :
If you require any further information in the meantime, please contact the Respecting Patient Choices® Oftice on (03) 9496 5660 or rpcoffice@austin.com.au. The contact persons are Rebekah Sjanta or Lynne Jackson.
