‘Care after Hospital’ a winner

Western Australia’s Bunbury local, Peter Jackson, credits his newly found independence and mobility after a traumatic hip fracture that put him in hospital earlier this year to care provider, St Ives ‘Care after Hospital’ program.

The 71 year old (pictured) is the latest success story for a federal government subsidised South West therapy program run by St Ives Home Care.

The program is reportedly helping local seniors recover quickly and get back to living independently after episodes that resulted in hospitalisation.

Mr Jackson fell in his hallway early this year and fractured his hip. He lay on the floor for four hours until his wife Carol returned home and then was taken to Bunbury Regional Hospital where he received emergency surgery.

He spent 18 weeks on the St Ives ‘Care after Hospital’ program (otherwise known as Transition Care Services), which allowed for a dedicated therapist to visit him at home three times a week, offering physiotherapy and therapy assistance.

As well as providing a high level of therapy and other assistance in the home, this program is also reportedly unique in that it brings together different medical professionals in order to facilitate a quick and coordinated recovery to older Australians after hospitalisation.

After being initially referred to the program at St Ives by Bunbury Regional Restorative Unit, Mr Jackson was then able to continue the therapy that was started in the hospital. This included attending a weekly ‘Hip and Knee’ class at St John of God Hospital through the program. The St John of God physiotherapists worked closely with Mr Jackson and the St Ives therapy assistants to support him through his rehabilitation, resulting in his full recovery.

Carolyn Douglas, the St Ives registered nurse who worked with Peter on his recovery, wants more people to know about the program.

“Older people are particularly vulnerable to falls, with about 84,000 cases of fall related hospitalisations reported in Australia each year,” Ms Douglas said.

Whether it is recovering from a fall or from a range of other accidents, even after hospital treatment, people can sometimes find it difficult to cope with daily life.

It is important someone coming home from hospital continues to get the support they need for a fast recovery. Mr Jackson, like most ‘Care after Hospital’ clients, regained full independence and mobility and didn’t require further help from anyone once he completed the program. 

“This program really works and, as a nurse, it is very rewarding to be involved with real success stories like this,” Ms Douglas said.

Recent research utilising the Modified Bartex Index (MBI) to measure peoples’ functional abilities, shows that more than 95% of those leaving ‘Care after Hospital’ experienced a marked improvement in their general functioning, with 71% needing no further support or care services.

Mr Jackson is now enjoying getting on with his life. He  has just purchased some hand and leg weights so he can continue his exercises himself and is looking forward to taking his wife to Kalbarri in October (where they got married) to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

For more information about ‘Care after Hospital’, call St Ives Home Care 1800 784 837 (and then press 1).

The St Ives Group is a leading provider of quality retirement villages, home and residential aged care and general real estate services in Western Australia. St Ives provides a range of government subsidised home care packages, Home And Community Care services, assistance with understanding the aged care system, respite and carer assistance and private care.