Innovative Outreach Service Brings Healthcare to Aged Care Residents at Home

In a groundbreaking approach to elderly care, the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Aged Care Outreach Service has successfully minimized the need for hospital visits among aged care residents, with over 95% of referrals in the last financial year avoiding emergency trips altogether.

This initiative allows specialized medical teams, led by geriatrician Dr. John McKenzie, to deliver treatments directly within residential facilities, ensuring that frail residents receive essential care in the comfort of their familiar environments. The service, which began in July 2023 and expanded across the region by September 2025, has already made significant strides in enhancing the quality of care for older adults.

For instance, one resident suffering from cellulitis found the idea of hospitalization distressing. Instead, a dedicated health team provided her with antibiotics and medical reviews over four days at her facility, avoiding the turmoil of an unfamiliar hospital setting. Dr. McKenzie emphasizes that hospitals can be daunting for vulnerable older adults, filled with bright lights and excessive noise, making home care a safer option.

The Aged Care Outreach Service (ACOS) brings together geriatricians, nurses, and clinicians to deliver treatments that typically require hospitalization, such as intravenous antibiotics and fluid administration. In the 2025-26 financial year alone, the team handled 2,502 referrals, with 2,393 residents successfully treated at home, demonstrating the service's effectiveness in reducing unnecessary emergency department visits.

As emergency departments in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region continue to face overwhelming patient loads—with over 42,000 attendances recorded from January to March—Dr. McKenzie believes that the outreach service can alleviate some of this pressure. He acknowledges that while hospital visits are sometimes necessary, the outreach model serves as a viable alternative that allows older adults to receive care where they feel most secure.

With a commitment to listening to the preferences and experiences of older adults, Dr. McKenzie envisions expanding the outreach model to include frail elderly individuals still residing in their own homes. This extension could profoundly impact community healthcare, reshaping how elderly care is delivered in Australia.

Source: www.abc.net.au