A nearly-$9 million yearly investment for aged-care beds will support Rockhampton Hospital’s efforts to assist with patient flow across the region and pressures on our aged-care beds.
Rockhampton Hospital has an agreement with Bolton Clarke to use 30 beds at Sunset Ridge in Zilzie on the Capricorn Coast for long-stay patients, freeing up hospital space for those who are acutely unwell.
Long-stay patients are people who are not clinically unwell but are unsuitable for independent living and are waiting for limited nursing home aged-care or disability residential spaces.
A huge recruitment campaign is under way to findstaff, including nurses,medical, allied health, administration, and operational staff required for this important services expansion.
CQ Health Chief Executive Lisa Blackler said this longer-term investment in aged care and interim care would be a game-changer when it comes to taking the pressure off Rockhampton Hospital Emergency Department and other services within our hospital and region.
“The number of long-stay patients at Rockhampton Hospital has doubled in the past 12 months,” she said. “There have been more than 100 of these patients in hospital simply because they have nowhere else to stay.
“An acute hospital setting is not the place for these people, who will be much more comfortable in this new location at Bolton Clarke’s Zilzie home.
“I am extremely proud of the dedicated team at CQ Health who work hard every day to provide great care to Central Queenslanders,” she said.
“Our team has been focusing on streamlining processes and ensuring patients spend as little time with us in hospital as possible, including expanding our Transit Lounge to seven days a week, using clinic spaces on weekends, and introducing extra afternoon rounds for earlier discharge.
“These changes highlight some of the work that has been done in this space to improve the Emergency Department experience for our patients and our staff.”
Bolton Clarke Chief Operating Officer Residential Aged Care Glenn Hancock said the organisation was pleased to partner with the Queensland Government to support the expansion of high-quality services to meet growing need.