New website helps older people stay healthy in hospital
A new online resource shows older patients and their families how to stay well while in hospital.
A new online resource shows older patients and their families how to stay well while in hospital.
Older people in hospital has been developed by the National Ageing Research Institute, the Victorian Government Department of Health and Human Services, The Clinical Leadership Group on care of older people in hospital, Victorian Health Services and a number of experts. It is the third edition of Best care for older people: The toolkit.
The resource provides clinicians with evidence-based information on 16 different but inter-related topics, all of which have been closely aligned to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards to assist health services to meet these standards.
Those topics are assessment, communication, person-centred practice, dementia, delirium, depression, continence, falls, mobility, frailty, medication, nutrition, swallowing, pain, palliative care, and pressure injuries and skin tears
The resource features supporting information such as stories from health services about innovative ways they are improving care for older people and a series audio visual information clips on strategies patients and their families can use to improve their outcomes during a hospital stay.
The clips are part of Get Well Soon, which is hosted jointly with Better Health Channel and includes fact sheets on looking after yourself in hospital.
According to Associate Professor Briony Dow, Executive Director of the National Ageing Research Institute, the consumer emphasis is a deliberate strategy to give older people and their families and carers the opportunity to make the most of their health and wellbeing while in hospital.
“The Get Well Soon information clips, include simple but important tips about the importance of staying active, eating and drinking, understanding medication and asking questions,” she said.
The site has been designed to be easy to navigable, dynamic and showcase the interrelated nature of the information. It also includes links to quality-assessed external resources that provide further learning opportunities.
Access the websites here:
Sign up to Technology Review’s weekly e-newsletter for news and analysis, as well as coverage of the latest products, resources and events. You can also follow Technology Review on Twitter. Send your company news, tip-offs and news on tech resources, products and events to negan@intermedia.com.au.
