Action needed 'now' to meet needs of elderly

The Hawke's Bay District Health Board has to act now if it's to meet the needs of the region's growing elderly population, and failure to do so will threaten the DHBs clinical and financial sustainability, general manager, planning and performance Andrew Lesperance says.
A HBDHB consultation document released last week outlined the needs and plans to make "not insignificant" changes to health services for Hawke's Bay's older people.
Mr Lesperance said there was a window of opportunity to make changes now before the increase of older people began in earnest in 2013 and 2014.
Hawke's Bay's population of over 65s, who often had complex health and support needs, was expected to increase from 22,900 to 36,000 over the next 15 years.
Mr Lesperance said many older people had long term health conditions and needs that required ongoing monitoring and follow-up.
In 2009 people aged over 65 accounted for 45 per cent of all acute in-patient bed days at Hawke's Bay Hospital, and nearly one in four attended the emergency department that year.
"To do nothing will see existing services pushed to crisis by the increasing workload, and growth in demand-driven expenditure will rapidly outstrip the expected increases in funding," Mr Lesperance said.
The document proposed a new service model that would improve access to health services for older people. It would reduce duplication, provide well co-ordinated care and advice and see a greater number of older people living independently in the community for longer.
Plans included the development of a new care co-ordination centre for older people that would provide a single entry point for people requiring information and access to community-based support services.
Mr Lesperance said an additional $1.1 million was budgeted for aged residential care for 2011/12.
The document noted the HBDHB generally provided good health services for older people, but present systems were fragmented and poorly co-ordinated.
Services were delivered in silos and complex to the point where some had given up trying to get the help they were entitled to.
The report acknowledged anecdotal evidence suggested "too often older people are struggling along in isolation and don't come to the attention of health and social services until they have a crisis".
Hawke's Bay Hospital's in-patient services were under pressure and some GPs expressed concern that some older people were being discharged too early.
The proposed new model was designed with help from health professionals, service providers and service users, and the HBDHB was now seeking feedback.
Strategies will be finalised by the end of June and rolled out from July.
The consultation document and feedback form is available on the DHB's website www.hawkesbaydhb.govt.nz