Enhanced after-hours planning in residential aged care homes
As part of our response to the Australian Government’s Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) has implemented the use of the Aged Care After-Hours Toolkit to improve the quality of after-hours planning in residential aged care.
On this page:
Why is after-hours planning important?
People in residential aged care homes (RACHs) may experience health deterioration outside of regular hours, such as at night and on weekends. If immediate transfer to hospital isn’t necessary, a lack of understanding around alternative care options can result in avoidable hospital visits.
The Aged Care After-Hours Toolkit aims to address this lack of understanding by promoting action-planning by facilities and residents. A key objective is to improve awareness of after-hours services, and to reduce unnecessary transfers to hospital, especially when safe and effective video telehealth options are available.
About the Aged Care After-Hours toolkit
The Aged Care After-Hours Toolkit incorporates the five key resources outlined below. All resources are designed to be dynamic and intended to complement existing processes and documentation. You can move through the After-hours toolkit at your own pace and decide to what extent you wish to use the After-Hours toolkit according to your RACH’s site’s needs.
Our toolkit guide provides a more detailed overview of each resource.
After-hours toolkit guide for residential aged care homes
An instructional guide to help residential aged care homes develop their after-hours processes, plans and resources, to provide the most appropriate and effective healthcare to residents.
After-hours action planning audit tool
This resource enables RACHs to prepare for the after-hours period, it is recommended that this audit be completed every 12 months.
Medical support checklist
This resource can be used by RACH staff when a resident is unwell and needs support. The checklist is based on the ISBAR communication tool.
Family and carer fact sheet
This resources informs family and carers on what will happen when a resident becomes unwell during the after-hours period.
Family and carer fact sheets in other languages:
After-hours service directory
This resource is a central document for local services in the after-hours period. The directory also serves as a template for individual facilities to add additional services, as relevant.
Resident after-hours action plan (PDF)
This person-centred after-hours action plan is designed for easy reference during an emergency. Please complete with the resident/
and family/chosen family where possible to ensure this process is person-centred.
Facility plan (WORD)
The facility after-hours quick guide is a condensed version of the after-hours plan that provides easy access to essential information during emergencies.
Find out how the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department is helping residents in Aged Care Homes
Extra resources
Medical referral options for RACHs
Visit our telehealth support in aged care page
Residential In-Reach (RIR) Services on Healthpathways Melbourne
After-hours services on Healthpathways Melbourne
Have your say: provide feedback on the toolkit.
Order hardcopies of the medical support checklist
Please fill out the following form to order hardcopies of the medical support checklist.
Acknowledgement
EMPHN would like to acknowledge Victorian and Tasmanian PHNs, the Aged Care Programs Team at EMPHN, and aged care stakeholders across our catchment in the development of this work.