The costs and experiences of caring for sick and disabled geriatric patients—Australian observations

The costs and experiences of caring for geriatric patients and the effectiveness of a geriatric assessment team have been reviewed in this study from the New South Wales Central Coast. The findings were: that some clients who are referred for placement in nursing homes and who meet standard criteria for admission can be maintained in the community; the cost to the taxpayer of persons admitted to nursing homes was at least $449 to $776 per week (1991 prices), compared to an average cost of $89 per week to maintain at home those whose original assessment met all the criteria for nursing home placement; assessments of needs of some clients were being conducted by five or more separate agencies which led to increased costs and created distrust and confusion for the client; a key factor in the decision to maintain a client in the community was found to be the availability and motivation of carers. A geriatric assessment team has an essential role in mobilising expert assessment and facilitates access to community‐based support services to obviate or delay admissions to nursing homes.