Ms Jennifer Hart1, Ms Danielle Loizou-Lake2
1Department of Health Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 2National Disability Services , Perth, Australia
Background
The Ready to Go Home project is a 3-year partnership between the National Disability Service in WA and the Department of Health WA funded through the Commonwealth Mainstream Capacity Building Grant 2020-2023. Ready to Go Home focuses on adult inpatients with disability in general hospitals and specialist mental health units across the metropolitan and regional areas of Western Australia.
Purpose
The project is seeking to improve the discharge process for people with disability in hospital who are medically ready for discharge but experience barriers which delay or prevent the discharge.
Focus
The project is developing an understanding of and responding to delays to discharge for people with a disability as well as improving the hospital experience. It also seeks to improve the interface between health and disability (community) services, involving lived experience to inform all project activities and co-designing service improvements.
The project has gathered preliminary information from consultation and a literature review which explored the barriers to discharge and the processes to access inclusive housing. The project is currently commencing the implementation phase which will extend through a series of trial sites.
The presentation will explore the literature review findings, quantitative and qualitative information from health service providers and disability service organisations which has enabled us to identify and summarise the interface issues facing people with disability discharging from hospital.
Biography:
Jennifer Hart joined the Chief Allied Health Office, Department of Health WA as a senior project officer on the Ready to Go Home project in 2020. Her clinical experience spans across acute, sub-acute and community in roles such as Social Work Team Leader, Coordinator of the Aged Care Assessment Team, Complex Care Discharge Coordinator and Social Work positions working with people with acquired brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.