A new tool designed to personalise health care for older Australians is now being rolled out across the North East. or signup to continue reading aims to create a healthcare model specifically tailored to older adults, focusing on four key areas: what matters to the patient, their medication, mobility, and mental health. Following years of research, the Indigo 4Ms team launched its video kit at Gateway Health on Tuesday, October 1, to mark the International Day of Older Persons.
Dr Rachel Winterton, deputy director at La Trobe University's John Richards Centre, said the tool kit had already made an impact. "The evidence suggests that if healthcare practitioners can address all of these things within conversations with older people about their care, outcomes for older people are better," she said. "They receive better care.
They can live their best lives." Simon Donohoe, Gateway Health's chief operations officer, said the tool encouraged healthcare providers to take a holistic approach. Rather than focusing solely on a specific ailment, such as a sore thumb, doctors are encouraged to ask about other factors that may be affecting the patient's wellbeing.
"In discussing what matters to [the patient], we might actually understand and appreciate that maybe there's some more mental health issues," Mr Donohoe said. "Or some loneliness or some socialisation issues that we cannot necessarily solve for you, but we can help navigate and direct you towards other services which could be s.
