Kojonup: An innovative approach to delivering Allied Healthcare to remote WA
Working together as an integrated team, Empower Healthcare clinicians and Residential Aged Care Facility Springhaven relished the opportunity of in-person collaboration to care for residents despite their remote location.
Kojonup is a town situated 250km Southeast of Perth with a population of little over 1000. Therefore it’s not surprising that the town’s only aged care facility struggles to procure Allied Health locally in order to meet compliance and care standards.
In total WA has only 22 Speech Pathologists per 100,000 of population, and nationally and only 17 per 100,000 in remote regions.
With demand far outstripping the number of allied health clinicians in remote and metropolitan WA areas, Springhaven Lodge in Kojonup was one such facility.
Springhaven Lodge contacted Empower Healthcare West Perth office for Dietetic, Speech Pathology and Occupational Therapy services. The challenge of providing these services in the most cost-effective, efficient and sustainable way fell to the team of our Perth based clinicians who understood that an innovative approach to service delivery would be needed.
Empowers interdisciplinary team of Speech Pathologist, Dietitian and OT’s set about developing an understanding of the unique requirements of the facility. They brainstormed the best method of delivering high quality healthcare and the best possible outcomes for the residents and staff. In collaboration with the facility manager, it was decided that a combination of telehealth and in-person assessment, intervention and training was the best approach.
A well planned and outcomes-based trip was organised for the team, who understood that efficiency and efficacy were key when time is limited. During their first day at Springhaven, the clinicians conducted menu audits, individual and process assessments, IDDSI training and implementation and staff training.
Working together as an integrated team, Empower and Springhaven staff relished the opportunity of in-person collaborative care for residents and implementing sustainable interventions and care plans. With ongoing bespoke telehealth and onsite support, Springhaven residents are now receiving the high-quality care they deserve.
We look forward to a building relationship with Springhaven and its residents and bringing this approach to other remote Residential Aged Care facilities in the future.
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