Independent RACs wanted for national sedative reduction program

A $3 million government grant is enabling the national roll out of the successful RedUSe program to reduce the use of sedatives in aged care. The researchers implementing the program are seeking residential homes to sign up.

UTAS research Dr Juanita Westbury is recruiting aged care homes to particpate in the national roll out of a program to reduce sedative use in aged care

By Natasha Egan

A program to reduce the use of sedatives in aged care, particularly for residents with dementia, is seeking independent residential homes to take part in a national roll out of the initiative. 

With a $3 million grant from the Aged Care Service Improvement and Healthy Ageing Grants Fund, the University of Tasmania (UTAS) School of Pharmacy’s Unit for Medication Outcomes, Research and Education (UMORE) is rolling out its proven ‘Reducing use of sedatives’ program, known as RedUSe, to 150 homes across Australia. 

UTAS researcher and program lead Dr Juanita Westbury and UMORE colleague Professor Greg Peterson will implement the three-year project in partnership with the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), the National Prescribing Service and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia.

“The project will reach 150 homes across Australia and we’re trying to get a good cross-section involved,” Dr Westbury said.

“We’re particularly interested in rural homes.”

The project team has already started conservations with Bupa and Southern Cross Care, has approached Aged and Community Services Australia, and is now keen to recruit independent homes and community care services for the roll out.

In addition to reducing sedative use, the project aims to improve the quality of life for residents, reduce falls, cut costs and allow workers to provide better care, Dr Westbury said.

“Generally nursing staff want to do things well. They want to provide the best quality of care they can. We hope the benefits for them are they will be providing an enhanced level of care.”

Collaborative approach with a proven track record

Following research into the way psychotropic medicines are prescribed in the aged care setting, the RedUSe pilot in 2008/09 aimed to reduce sedative use in 25 aged care homes in Hobart and Launceston. 

“We were able to actively reduce the use of sedatives among residents,” Dr Westbury said.

Benzodiazepine use went from 40 per cent at beginning of the trial down to 23 per cent after 18 months, she said.

And the use of anti-psychotic medications fell from 22 per cent to 18 per cent over the same time period.

Dr Westbury describes RedUSe as a multi-faceted program that involves collaboration among nurses, carers, pharmacists and GPs.

The program takes about six months to complete at each aged care home and involves nurses, care workers and other facility staff, Dr Westbury said.

It starts with a campaign to raise awareness about sedatives, their uses and side effects, and is followed by an audit.

“We benchmark that against national average rates of use plus we can get local rates as well. People will look at it and compare their use to that,” Dr Westbury said.

Better usage of sedatives is highlighted and workers are educated about the national guidelines available to implement best practice.

(See the Australian commission on safety and quality in health care

“Then we come up with a list of patients taking these medications longer than recommended. We tell staff and the patient’s family. They go to the doctor and the doctor tries a different approach,” she said.

The national project is currently in the planning stage. Dr Westbury and her team hope to go live in January or February in a phased rollout to the 150 homes.

Independent providers can register interest or find out more about RedUSe by contacting Dr Juanita Westbury at Juanita.Westbury@utas.edu.au or by phoning 03 6226 1966. 

Tags: antipsychotics, juanita-westbury, reduse, sedatives, umore, utas,

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