The Victorian public sector residential aged care setting

 

There is limited evidence on the current prevalence of pressure ulcers in Victorian public sector residential aged care services, however results from the first phase of a national trial (the PRIME trial) indicated that pressure ulcer prevalence in nursing homes was up to 25.9% (for example, one quarter of all residents).

In Victoria, around 16% (approximately 7,000 aged care beds) of all Commonwealth funded residential aged care places are provided by the public sector, comprising 5% of metropolitan Melbourne beds and 39% of beds in regional and rural areas. Public sector residential aged care services are managed by Victoria’s public health services.

The current online PUBS package is available for all clinical staff and can be accessed via the Victorian Government Health Information website. However, public sector residential aged care services have not been targeted with the package. This education package has been developed specifically for the context of public sector residential aged care service health care workers, and takes into account levels of clinical training and the relationship between health care workers and residents. There are many health care workers in these services who do not have clinical qualifications but spend the majority of their working time with residents. The resource aims to assist with reducing resident morbidity caused by pressure ulcers.

Department of Human Services

The Department of Human Services is responsible for a wide range of services to diverse client groups across Victoria. The principal function of the Department is to ensure the delivery of a range of health, housing and community services.

The Department’s mission statement is:

To enhance and protect the health and well being of all Victorians, emphasising vulnerable groups and those most in need.

Rural & Regional Health & Aged Care Services

The Rural and Regional Health and Aged Care Services Division (RRHACS) is responsible for policy development, funding and monitoring of service delivery across the full range of health and aged care services in rural Victoria. In addition, the Division has responsibility for developing and implementing policy and legislation, planning, funding and monitoring service delivery, as well as directly delivering some services, in the key areas of aged care, public health, primary and community health, dental health and drug services.

The Victorian Quality Council

The Victorian Quality Council (VQC) was established in 2001 as a Ministerial expert strategic advisory group to lead the safety and quality agenda for Victorian health care services. The Council works closely with the Government, health services, clinicians, consumers and other related organisations to provide leadership and direction, assist with coordination and identify and close gaps in safety and quality services. The Victorian Quality Council is responsible for fostering better quality health services in Victoria, by working with stakeholders to develop useful tools and strategies to improve health service safety and quality.

In 2003, the Victorian Quality Council conducted the first state-wide survey of the prevalence of pressure ulcers within Victoria’s acute and subacute health services.

Recommendations from the VQC state-wide PUPPS Report 2003 have led to:

  • $2 million funding for a state-wide mattress replacement program
  • Continuing PUPPS projects in 2004 and 2006
  • Development of consumer information brochures
  • Development of Pressure Ulcer Basics — an online education program.

The Victorian Quality Council, the expert advisory group with the responsibility to lead the safety and quality agenda for Victorian health care services, identified the reduction of pressure ulcers as a key objective. Work undertaken towards this goal included conducting pressure ulcer point prevalence surveys (PUPPS) in Victorian public hospitals in 2003 and 2004. PUPPS results highlighted the following:

  • the prevalence of pressure ulcers
  • the impact on quality of life
  • the need for increased use of risk assessment tools
  • the need for increased implementation of prevention strategies
  • the need for increased documentation of prevention and management strategies.

A number of strategies have been implemented to assist with the reduction of pressure ulcer development:

A key result area in the Council’s 2005 to 2008 strategic plan is to ‘reduce harm in areas of known risk’. The focus of this project is to provide an education module that provides public sector residential aged care services staff with the appropriate knowledge level and skills to actively assist with reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers developed by residents in public sector residential aged care services.

The pressure ulcer point prevalence survey (PUPPS) was continued by VQC in 2004. The Quality & Safety Branch, Department of Human Services managed PUPPS 3, and is responsible for conducting future PUPPS projects.

pdficon State-wide PUPPS 3 report 2006
Download document (754KB, PDF)

pdficon State-wide PUPPS 2 report 2004
Download document (2160KB, PDF)
(Available from the VQC website)

pdficon State-wide PUPPS 1 Report 2003
Download document (1440KB, PDF)

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