Why? i.e. What is the problem?
People with disability and complex needs typically experience a range of health issues that significantly impact on their need for medical and nursing support. Secondary conditions can make young people in RAC critically ill or result in premature death. Common secondary medical conditions include pressure areas (31%), contractures (31%), urinary tract infections (23%) and chest infections or pneumonia (18%). Most (88%) of young people in RAC have three or more health problems.
One of the key systemic reasons why younger people are admitted to RAC is that there are not enough community-based alternatives that combine residential support with complex clinical care (Department of Human Services, 2005). Younger people with very high care needs living in RAC have, potentially, many years of life ahead of them. However, some people in this population have been described as having a ‘narrow margin of health’. This means that they are highly susceptible to secondary conditions that can make them critically ill or result in premature death.
What are the key research questions?
1. What are the specific health needs, costs and service utilisation of people with disability and complex needs?
2. What exemplars are there of proactive community and primary health services for people with disability and complex needs?
How are we going to answer these questions?
Systematic literature review and environmental scan
How is this project going to assist us to resolve the issue of young people in aged care?
Many of the episodes of illness experienced by people with disability and the resultant hospital admissions appear to be predictable and preventable and further research is required to determine if health promotion and preventative measures can improve the health outcomes for this population. A coordinated approach to managing these conditions has the potential to decrease hospital admissions and improve the health and longevity of both younger people who move out of RAC and those who remain living in RAC.
Timeframe July 2018 – December 2018
Further information research@summerfoundation.org.au
Research Partner Living with Disability Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia