Review of the Victorian Transition Care Program

Client: Department of Health Victoria

Centre: e-Health

Start year: 2014
End year: 2015

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The e-Health Unit was engaged to carry out a review of the Victorian Transition Care Program (TCP) – first operational in 2006. Key findings include: - The average TCP client now is slightly younger, more likely to live in the community and have a non-residential carer than those clients who entered TCP when it was first implemented (2006). - Victoria has the highest average TCP occupancy rate of all states in Australia. - The average length of stay within TCP has increased from 7.7 weeks to 9.1 weeks since implementation. - The impact of TCP on the acute care system can be seen in the reduction in the number of days older people wait in hospital for a residential care place. Client/carer experience surveys revealed that rural teams reported higher satisfaction ratings with the service than did metropolitan teams. - The most common theme throughout the stories from staff and clients was appreciation of the time TCP allowed the client and family to work through issues associated with long-term care decisions. - Discharge destinations to the community have increased slightly, and discharges to high-level residential care have decreased. - Overall, clients and their carers were satisfied with the type of support organised on discharge from TCP.

Team members: Janette Collier, Linda Muller