PA Hospital is launching an innovative model of care which brings specialist rehabilitation services to patients in acute wards, improving patient outcomes and reducing length of stay.
The In-reach team is focused on providing timely rehabilitation support to eligible patients, which Team Leader Sarah Frisby said can make an incredible difference to their overall time in hospital.
“We’re excited to be launching this service on 1 July, because we all want to see the benefits for patients, including being able to get home to their loved ones sooner.
“The In-reach Rehabilitation service is about early intervention and providing the right support at the right time during a patient’s stay in hospital.
“Our dedicated and experienced team is made up of Medical, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology, Social work, Psychology, Clinical Nurse Consultant and Allied Health Assistant health professionals.”
The service has been made possible thanks to funding until June 2025, allowing for a workforce of 15.5 FTE (full-time equivalent).
The team has worked hard to develop the model of care locally at PAH, benchmarking with other Australian facilities who have implemented the In-reach model.
Sarah says the success relies on early referrals, targeted length of stay of around two weeks, and frequent communication with the acute treating teams to ensure safety and optimise patient experience.
“We’re grateful for everyone’s support of this new way of working and look forward to seeing it improve the lives of our patients,” she said.