A new rapid review of national and international research has found that in-home care models can significantly reduce emergency department visits, hospitalisations and hospital length of stay for older people.
The findings, presented by the Bolton Clarke Research Institute at the recent Australian Association of Gerontology National Conference in Alice Springs, highlight the growing evidence supporting the effectiveness of home-based care in improving health outcomes while easing pressure on hospitals.
Researcher Elizabeth Robinson said the review analysed 37 research papers exploring eight in-home care models across Australia and New Zealand, North America, Asia and Europe.
“These models included in-home community nursing and allied health services such as Support at Home, short-term nursing interventions with care planning and education, home-based primary care led by GPs, hospital in the home, integrated care and transitional care,” Ms Robinson said.
The study found these approaches were consistently associated with decreases in emergency department presentations, hospital admissions and length of stay.
“As we navigate changes to home care, measuring and monitoring outcomes will be critical to ensure the effectiveness of different care models, particularly for clients with greater complexity.”
However, Ms Robinson noted that variations between care models and evaluation methods presented some limitations.
“Results do trend toward positive impacts of in-home care models,” she said. “The results were also influenced by patient acuity, and the issue of acuity and complexity of care needs further exploration.”
With the national rollout of the Support at Home program on the horizon, Ms Robinson said ongoing evaluation would be essential.
