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Healthy Ageing Quality Improvement Collaborative

Primary Health Networks (PHNs) are receiving funding to support the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. The aim of this project is to support older adults to live at home for longer through the commissioning of early intervention initiatives that promote healthy ageing, support the ongoing management of chronic conditions, reducing functional decline.

WHL engaged Dr Paresh Dawda from Prestantia Health and an Expert Reference Panel, consisting of primary care and allied health professionals to determine the measures of the program.

Aim of the HAQI Collaborative:

Improve the care of older people living in the community which will be guided by the 5M framework utilised by participating general practices across the Nepean Blue Mountains Region. In practice this means:

  • Improving the management of older patients living with a long-term health condition
  • Improving the quality of life for older patients participating in the program
  • Maintaining and/or improving function of daily living to remain at home for longer
  • Reducing potentially preventable hospitalisations eg falls
  • Reduce risk of polypharmacy and increasing health literacy to assist older people to better manage their own medications
  • Promoting access to non-clinical community services available if appropriate for the patient.

General Practice Healthy Ageing QI

Healthy Ageing QI aims to support general practice in improving the management of patients with chronic conditions by implementing important preventative care measures to minimise their risk of hospitalisation. Patients are encouraged to be equal partners with their care team to better manage their chronic conditions, medications and avoid preventable hospitalisation.

Benefits to your practice

  • Participation and outcome payments for the practice (up to $10,000 excluding GST)
  • Increased awareness of chronic disease support for your patients
  • Contributes to QI requirements for both accreditation and PIPQI

Eligibility

During the Preparation Phase of the program, practices recruit and maintain a register of at least 20 eligible patients to participate in the program. Patients eligible for the program need to:

  • be older patients (65 years or over and 55 years or over for Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people),
  • have one or more chronic conditions,
  • be likely to benefit from participation in the program to reduce their risk of hospitalisation,
  • be living independently, not in residential aged care.

Measures using the 5M’s Framework

Practices participating in the Collaborative will engage with other general practices through peer-to-peer learning, leading healthy ageing clinicians and quality improvement experts on applying the 5M Framework to support improved management of older persons health.

The 5M framework is a simple, powerful and evidence-based framework, that measures outcomes based on What Matters to the patient, Medication, Mobility, Mentation and Malnutrition.

Healthy Aging Quality Improvement handbook.

If you are interested in joining our Healthy Ageing QI program, complete the expression of interest form below: