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The acute–aged care interface: Exploring the dynamics of ‘bed blocking’
Author(s) -
Travers Catherine M,
McDonnell Geoff D,
Broe Gerald A,
Anderson Phil,
Karmel Rosemary,
Duckett Stephen J,
Gray Len C
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
australasian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 1440-6381
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.2008.00310.x
Subject(s) - blocking (statistics) , interface (matter) , isolation (microbiology) , block (permutation group theory) , dynamics (music) , acute hospital , older people , acute care , public hospital , queue , medicine , health care , nursing , medical emergency , business , gerontology , psychology , computer science , political science , computer network , pedagogy , geometry , mathematics , bubble , maximum bubble pressure method , parallel computing , law , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , programming language
Objective: To understand the dynamics underlying ‘bed‐blocking’ in Australian public hospitals that is frequently blamed on older patients.Methods: Analysis of primary and secondary data of utilisation patterns of hospital and aged care services by older Australians.Results: A model of the dynamics at the acute–aged care interface was developed, in which the pathway into permanent high‐care Residential Aged Care (RAC) is conceptualised as competing queues for available places by applicants from the hospital, the community and from within RAC facilities. The hospital effectively becomes a safety net to accommodate people with high‐care needs who cannot be admitted into RAC in a timely manner.Conclusion: The model provides a useful tool to explore some of the issues that give rise to access‐block within the public hospital system. Access‐block cannot be understood by viewing the hospital system in isolation from other sectors that support the health and well‐being of older Australians.