Making a difference through integrated community care for older people

littleford a & kralik d (2010) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness2, 178–186 Making a difference through integrated community care for older people Aim. To promote early intervention though better co‐ordination and integration of services so as to meet the holistic and often complex needs of older people with co morbid chronic health conditions. Background. Australia’s population is ageing, hence there is an urgent need to develop appropriate community based health models that meet the needs of older people, and integrate services to keep older people with chronic illness in optimal health and at home. Model development. Integrated Community Care for Older People (ICCOP) is a systematically integrated model of care piloted in Adelaide, South Australia. The model was developed in partnership between a community nursing organisation, a division of General Practice and a large public hospital. Findings. The ICCOP model has demonstrated efficacy in keeping older people healthy at home, demonstrating a 51% reduction in unplanned Emergency Department presentations and hospital admissions and a 37% reduction in total bed days for the ICCOP clients. Conclusion. Services like ICCOP are currently not reflected in health policy or funding models, despite the increase in packaged community care over the past decade. The need to formalise these models in both policy and practice is urgent if Australia is to respond to the ageing population, particularly with the anticipated peak in person’s aged over 85 years in 2012.