Department of Health

The second stage of the Improving Care for Older People (ICOP) program operated in Victoria from 2010 to 2013. Across Victoria, 35 public health services participated in the initiative, including all metropolitan health services. As part of the program, they were required to undertake initiatives to minimise the risk of functional decline in older patients and improve the provision of care in four areas:

  • Evidence-based environmental improvements
  • Organisation-wide policy development that provides a framework for improving care for older people across the organisation
  • Embedding the evidence base contained within The Toolkit to inform models of care to minimise functional decline for older people, with a focus on acute settings
  • Professional development activities to support workforce capacity building to better respond to the needs of older people in hospital settings

Outlined is a snapshot of the types of initiatives taken by health services relating to palliative care.

Health Service

Requirement Addressed and Project Summary

Alfred Health

Policy development – Introduction of End of Life Guidelines

Models of care – Implementation and roll out of Care of the Dying Pathway

Barwon Health

Models of care - Development of interdisciplinary e-care plan incorporating Improving Care For Older Persons (IC4OP) principles

Maryborough District Health Service

Policy development - IC4OP principles embedded in policies including Palliative and End of Life Care Policy

Environmental improvements, Models of care - Development of palliative care suite in acute ward (“Merrin”) to provide inpatient palliative care – fundraising and volunteer help was utilised

Models of care - Liverpool End of Life Care Pathway implemented

Reviewed 05 October 2015

Health.vic

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