Canterbury DHB Older Persons Health Provider Forum
Thursday 19th May 2011, 3-4.30pm, Hagley Netball Centre
Updates
 Carer immigration: The issue of carer’s non-renewal of work visas by the Department of
Immigration following the earthquake was raised at the meeting. Providers were informed
that the Canterbury DHB is aware of the issue but is unable to intervene in this Department
of Immigration process.
Action: Canterbury DHB to inform Providers should there by any developments with regards
to this issue
 HealthCERT: HealthCERT has advised Canterbury DHB that routine certification audits will
recommence for facilities with expiring certificates. HealthCERT noted that routine audits
will be conducted but that a streamlined approach will be taken in light of the impact of the
earthquake. It was imperative that facilities had current certification and so routine
certification audits will resume and HealthCERT will be in contact with facilities whose
certification status was close to expiry to arrange a suitable date for their audit. Surveillance
audits are still on hold and there is no indication from HealthCERT of when these will resume
at this stage.
 Repatriation process: Lynda Irvine informed the group that the work to repatriate
evacuated Christchurch ARC residents out of town back to Christchurch had begun. The
repatriation team were working through the evacuated facilities in order of which facilities
were evacuated first. The team were visiting all evacuated residents in their current location
and assessing them on a case-by-case basis. Redcliffs Rest Home was the first facility to be
evacuated and all residents had been moved to Dunedin. The repatriation team have been
to Dunedin to talk to and assess these residents and are looking to bring back eight residents
to Christchurch ARC facilities week commencing 23.05.11. Lynda noted that there were a
number of residents that did not wish to return to Christchurch. The repatriation team meet
at 3pm each day to look at current ARC vacancies and continually reprioritise the placement
of residents on a case-by-case basis. The team were looking to used 20% of available ARC
bed capacity each week for these repatriated residents and were looking to move residents
the least times possible. The group were informed that retaining client choice of facility was
imperative and that facilities who had and had not agreed to the new SPOE contract were
being used.
 SPOE contract: A few operational issues regarding the SPOE contract had arisen and
providers were encouraged to use the SPOE email (ophspoe@cdhb.govt.nz) to report issues
and queries they had with regards to the contract. Queries such as ‘How do ARC providers
know that the resident they admit has been prioritised through SPOE, families are contacting
them to say PMH sent me to look for a bed’ had arisen. Providers agreed that it would be
useful for SPOE to develop a referral form/confirmation slip to address this issue. Nancy
informed the group that in order to address these issues the possibility of forming a small
working group to meet for 1.5hours had been raised. Lynda notified the group that the need
of this group and the issues raised would become more apparent next week following the
first repatriation of former Redcliffs Rest Home residents from Dunedin back to
Christchurch.
Action: SPOE to develop a referral form/confirmation slip and circulate to providers with a
SPOE contract
Action: Toni to notify providers how many providers who had agreed to the SPOE contract
Action: Nancy to send out SPOE contract to Shannon House
Action: Providers to email Nancy if they wish to be part of the working group. Alison Jephson
(Anglican Aged Care) wishes to be part of this group
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
OPH Provider Forum: Following the February earthquake the OPH Provider Forums had
been held on a monthly basis. Providers agreed that the forums should move back to being
held bi-monthly. Thus the next meeting would be held on Thursday 21st July, 3-4.30pm at
the Hagley Netball Centre
Nurses’ utilisation of evidence to inform practice (NUEIP) project
Karen Bettony (Project Nurse, The New Zealand Institute of Community Health Care) attended the
forum and presented on the Nursing Utilisation of Evidence to Inform Practice (NUEIP) Project. To
date the NUEIP project has mainly focused on developing the Nursing Evidence website which is a
free online service that assists nurses to quickly a range of high quality reputable internet resources.
Karen informed the group that the NUEIP project is also exploring ways to make a database of
policies and procedures widely available as well as looking to provide free access for nurses to a
subscription database. The NUEIP project is also looking to provide training for nurses on the online
tool that would be credited and count as 1 hour training of professional development for nurses.
For further information please visit: www.nursingevidence.org.nz
Gerontology Nurse Specialist Update
Sheryl Haywood and Aileen Smith (Gerontology Nurse Specialists, Canterbury DHB) informed the
group that over the past six months they have met with the majority of Christchurch ARC providers
(e.g. Facility/Clinical Manager and nursing groups) during which time they had introduced their roles
and aim to support ARC providers. Sheryl and Aileen noted that they had received several referrals
either directly from facilities or through SPOE and had provided clinical advice and support with
cases. They have also provided in-service education at facilities and have provided clinical support
over the phone to ARC nursing staff. Providers were encouraged to complete the survey that Sheryl
and Aileen have circulated in order to gain feedback about their roles and what forms of support
providers require. To date many completed surveys had been returned and many needs had been
identified. Sheryl and Aileen are looking to use this information to plan specific in-service education
sessions and are looking to hold ½-1 day study days at PMH to addressing generic topics. Sheryl and
Aileen provide service cover 7.30am-5pm but are interested to hear from providers if they feel there
is need to extend their service hours.
Action: Sheryl and Aileen to present at the July OPH Provider Forum
Community, Rehabilitation, Enablement and Support Team (CREST)
Jane Evans (Transfer of Care Nurse, Canterbury DHB) attended the forum and presented on the
Community, Rehabilitation, Enablement and Support Team (CREST). The CREST service is a
supported discharge service that has been established following the earthquake for older people
who previously would have been discharged into a specialist service at The Princess Margaret
Hospital or a rest home/hospital to recover following their hospital admission. The main aims of
community led CREST service include to; reduce length of hospital stay, avoid hospital admissions
reduce ARC placements and increase time for the patient in their own home. Jane noted that often
in general medicine elderly patients have frequent hospital admissions and thus the CREST service
aims to promote client independence and have a responsive and reactive service with better patient
outcomes as the service supports clients to manage in their own home and stay there to reduce
these frequent admissions. Jane also highlighted that there is often a reluctance of the acute
hospital service to discharge patients back into the community and the CREST service is helping to
reassure hospital staff that following discharge patients are being supported and are safe. Jane
provided an example of a patient journey through the CREST service and the goal ladder which had
been established for them through a multi-disciplinary team that were supporting the person in
their own home. Following the 2-6 week CREST service clients can either be discharged to their GP,
NASC service for longer term needs or a falls prevention programme. Jane and community providers
(Healthcare NZ and Access) who attended the meeting noted that the CREST service had been well
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received and was working well and had been established in a short space of time due to the
common aim of the project and people working across and sites and across traditional boundaries.
The next OPH Provider Forum will be held on Thursday 21 July, 3-4.30pm, Hagley Netball Centre
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