HammondCare has partnered with SA Health to provide 15 places at Daw Park so patients living with dementia occupying hospital beds can be better supported in a home-like and familiar environment.

SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton said the beds available under the Care Awaiting Placement (CAP) program at HammondCare Daw Park would support patients with dementia while they await discharge to a permanent aged care bed.

Hospitals across Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Central Adelaide Local Health Network and Northern Adelaide Local Health Network now have access to these new 15 new beds – located within HammondCare’s recently opened Daw Park dementia care village in SA Health’s Repat Health Precinct. 

“People with dementia shouldn’t be stuck in hospital longer than they need to waiting for an aged care bed. It’s not good for them and it’s not good for the health system,” Mr Picton said.

He said the new CAP beds at Daw Park will bridge the gap from hospital to longer-term care in the community.

HammondCare Head of Service Development Samantha Arnold said the patients would benefit from relationship-based care from a small team in cottages featuring a domestic kitchen, access to outdoors and dementia-design features supporting independence.

“People with dementia are best supported in environments that are home-like and familiar, and often find hospital environments particularly uncomfortable,” Ms Arnold said.

A recent audit of bed capacity across local health networks found approximately 45 hospital inpatients were ready for discharge at any one time but remained in hospital waiting for a suitable dementia specific bed in a residential aged care home. 

The new dementia-specific beds will help free up hospital capacity across the three metropolitan LHNs, who will work with HammondCare to identify and place appropriate patients.

HammondCare specialises in providing care for people with differing levels of dementia. However, patients occupying these new beds will remain under the care of the referring local health networks until a longer-term placement is secured.

The Repat provides support and health care for older people and this partnership is one of many SA Health initiatives to increase capacity and improve patient flow. 

Further construction works are already well underway at the Repat Health Precinct, including a new purpose built 26-bed Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) Unit, as well as a major refurbishment to deliver six beds for the Complex and Restorative (CARE) Service. The CARE Service will provide same day hospital-level care for older people.

HammondCare specialises in providing care for people with differing levels of dementia. However, patients occupying these new beds will remain under the care of the referring local health networks until a longer-term placement is secured.

The Repat provides support and health care for older people and this partnership is one of many SA Health initiatives to increase capacity and improve patient flow. 

Further construction works are already well underway at the Repat Health Precinct, including a new purpose built 26-bed Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) Unit, as well as a major refurbishment to deliver six beds for the Complex and Restorative (CARE) Service. The CARE Service will provide same day hospital-level care for older people.