Bupa trials regional wellness hubs

National aged care provider Bupa is piloting a wellness hubs initiative in six of its aged care homes in regional areas of Queensland.

The wellness program was developed with the help of Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia. Through its Innovator Training Program – and using evidence-based practices – ARIIA was able to help prepare the Bupa team to develop a care delivery program with a holistic focus.

“We know that we must shift from an illness and reactive approach of care to a restoration and wellbeing-centred care model but, like everyone else in the sector, we have workforce challenges to overcome,” Bupa quality director Mel White told Australian Ageing Agenda. “Through participation in the ARIIA Innovator Training Program we were encouraged by independent facilitators to take the time needed to understand what the challenges were and identify solutions.”

She added: “As a result, we sharpened our critical thinking skills for problem solving and gained a deeper understanding of effective implementation.”

The Bupa wellness hubs are led by nurse practitioners in partnership with general practitioners and allied health teams who review and manage multidisciplinary care – including telehealth. “The wellness hubs align with our vision of becoming the world’s foremost customer-centric healthcare organisation,” said Ms White.

And evidence suggests they’re already making a positive impact on resident outcomes. “Referrals to allied health services have increased by an average of 113 per cent in our pilot homes, with the most significant uptick seen in nurse practitioner, dietitian and speech pathology referrals,” said Ms White. “We’ve also seen a decrease in wound healing time across the pilot homes and an uptick in residents participating in group exercise and other restorative therapies.”

ARIIA’s lead researcher Professor Sue Gordon welcomed Bupa’s wellness hub program and told AAA her team was involved from the outset.

“Working with the Bupa team we facilitated their project planning process using an evidence-based approach to empower them to implement change at both the strategic and operational levels within the organisation.”

The wellness hubs trial will continue for the next two months and roll out across other Bupa homes early next year.

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