Short Term Restorative Care

Those of you who have been recipients of Transition Care Program (TCP) upon discharge from hospital or those of you who have family who have received this ‘package’ or support on discharge from hospital would know that it is a good way to transition home with ongoing support (up to 12 weeks) by a multi disciplinary team (MDT).

The MDT consists of a range of clinical specialists including nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, speech pathologists and social workers.

This kind of package aims to literally get the person back on their feet and assist in regaining and maintaining independence.

There’s another kind of package that consumers don’t seem to know much about, but you need to know.

There’s an 8 week package of coordinated multi disciplinary support that is available to older people who haven’t had a hospital admission recently.
The 8 week ‘package’ is available twice in a 12 month period.
It’s very similar to a TCP package and it’s called Short Term Restorative Care (STRC).

Let me tell you more about it.

Essentially, if your independence is at risk due to increased frailty or decreased mobility or you’re just finding it harder to manage your day to day activities of daily living (ADLs) then this might be the package for you…especially if you haven’t had any other support or services via My Aged Care and especially if this is your first contact with the support and services via My Aged Care.

These Short Term Restorative Care packages can be delivered in your own home, in a community setting or in a residential aged care facility…but you can’t be a permanent resident of an aged care facility.
Just explaining that last point, some providers use some of their beds in the aged care facility to offer recipients of STRC packages a brief stay in the facility while receiving STRC.

How do you get the ball rolling in being assessed for one of these packages?
A referral via MAC is required.
Anyone can make this referral…but it is advisable that you use the phrases ‘threatened independence’, ‘functional decline’, ‘increased difficulty maintaining independence’ and even write ‘seeking short term restorative care’ on the MAC referral.

I’ll tell you why you need to be specific.

I did a referral for a husband and wife last week via MAC for STRC.
At the end of the referral the MAC website gave me a prompt suggesting the information I entered indicated a RAS assessment was appropriate and asked if I wanted to accept this recommendation.

Of course I said no.
No!
And I then selected that I wanted an assessment by the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT) for STRC.

You see, only ACATs can assess and approve for STRC.
I knew this, as I know the system but most people would be unaware of this.

As it turned out my referral did not end up going to the ACAT but went to the RAS anyway and after emails and phone calls with MAC, ACAT and RAS, the RAS contact forwarded my referral to the ACAT.

Lesson. Follow up on your referral if you haven’t heard anything in 2 weeks.

Now, one more word on STRC packages.
Just like providers of Home Care Packages, not all providers of STRC packages are the same and you need to have an informed conversation about what you would like within this package.
I am working with a provider at present, and this provider has tasked me with rolling out their STRC program.
I am creating a network of local clinicians who are exceptionally good at what they do and the packages we are offering to our recipients are comprehensive and holistic in their aim.

Another package provider in our local area is providing the bare minimum and one daughter told me she had to arrange the entire package, including sourcing quotes for her mother.

This is concerning as at sign up of a STRC recipient there is a range of conversations that need to occur, documents that require signing and an initial clinical assessment should happen.
This daughter hasn’t even met the coordinator of her mother’s STRC package.
That’s not ok.

So, in a nutshell, these STRC packages are very good.
They are well funded and provide for services and support of a clinical nature that are targeted and individualised, reflective of the needs of the recipient.
And if this is the first service or package you are approved for via MAC, then you have done very well and have the best shot at retaining your function, independence and well being.