A proposal that could lead to more elderly people returning home after an acute hospital admission was promoted at this week's Otago and Southland disability support advisory committee meeting.
The Otago board's Gibson Community Rehabilitation Service would like to run a pilot project which could help about three people a month return to their homes, rather than enter residential care.
Geriatrician Dr Julie Mador said the service would be suitable for those patients who had previously been managing at home, whose improvement after hospital admission could be slow.
Under existing arrange-ments, if they were not suitable for inpatient rehabilitation, they would be referred either to residential or hospital-level care.
In some cases, however, such patients could make gains in strength and energy which allowed them to be more independent and with comprehensive help and a supportive family, they might be able to return to their home.
The pilot should involve a geriatrician or specialist aged-care nurse reviewing identified patients on discharge from hospital and after four weeks in residential care.
Dr Mador said not every patient would be suitable for the transitional service.
How the funding would work was not clear.
The rehabilitation service recommended a Dunedin pilot project be set up for 12 months, aiming for a minimum of 10% of referrals, about three a month, staying home for more than three months.
If successful, it could be introduced across both boards, including in rural areas.
A business case will be developed and a recommendation brought back for presentation to the new combined board.
