Thursday, October 25, 2012
South Bruce Grey Health Centre
Restorative Care Unit at Chesley Hospital Celebrates a Very Successful One Year Anniversary
Earlier this year Sarah*, a patient in her 80’s, resumed her independence (including self-medication) within 6 days of arriving to the 10-bed Restorative Care Unit (RCU) at Chesley Hospital.
She is one of the many success stories of the Restorative Care program, which supports a “home first” philosophy and is designed for individuals who would benefit from a short period of transitional care (to improve strength, endurance and independence) so that they may safely return home. Too often the decision to apply to Long Term Care is made right after an acute episode and is based on the patient’s weakened current state.
Since the opening of the unit a year ago on November 1st, the numbers tell the story: of the 93 admissions to RCU, 72 patients were discharged home and only 10 patients returned to acute care. And on October 25, the RCU admitted its 100th patient.
“During that same time period, we had an average of 74% improvement in self-assessment scores at discharge from HOBIC (Health Outcomes for Better Information & Care),” says Rhonda Ridgeway, Director of Patient Care at Chesley Hospital. “That score is very important as it is how the patients score themselves. We were hoping for 10% so we are very excited about this high score.”
They surpassed all of their target goals: improvement in self-assessment score; percentage of patients discharged home (actual was 87%, target was 75%) and our average length of stay – they expected 2-8 weeks while the average length of stay was only 28 days.
In order for an individual to be part of this restorative care program, there are a number of criteria they must meet. For example, they must be 18 years of age and a resident of Grey or Bruce County; medically stable and they can’t be discharged to a Long Term Care Facility. Additionally, to participate in the program, they must be:
- physically stable (i.e. be able to dress self with minimal assistance)
- cognitively stable (able to follow instructions and delirium/dementia issues resolved or medically managed)
- assessed for their ability to self-medicate
The readiness for discharge is determined by the physician and the team, which is composed of a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, nurses, pharmacist, personal support workers and rehabilitation assistant.
The initiative is an excellent example of the collaboration between health care providers in Grey and Bruce counties to integrate care in order to support the ability for patients to remain safely in their own homes as long as possible.
“The proof is in the referrals”, says Ridgeway. “The program is so successful that families are now asking for family members to be sent to the RCU.”
*Sarah is not the real name of the patient
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