Out of Hospital Care
The Out of Hospital Care (OHC) Program is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.
NSW Health OHC incorporates the ComPacks, Safe and Supported at Home (SASH) and the End of Life (EoL) programs. These 3 programs support hospital discharges and prevent avoidable admissions by providing responsive short to medium-term packages of non-clinical case management and home care services to eligible patients and their families/carers across NSW.
OHC is a six-week program that provides you with the right supports in your own home through a tailored range of community services.
Am I eligible?
Out of Hospital Care is available to people of all ages who are either in-patients of a NSW Health public hospital or have been referred for OHC services by a NSW Health Community Health Team.
Eligible people may have acute or chronic health conditions or disabilities that impact on their ability to manage activities of daily living. These factors place them at risk of unnecessary hospitalisation.
OHC is not available for people who require long-term intensive levels of homecare. Details of eligibility for each of the programs are outlined below:
ComPacks
Is available for patients of all ages being discharged from participating NSW public hospitals that require immediate access to non-clinical case management and home care services for a safe discharge home.
Safe and Supported at Home Packages (SASH)
Are available to people who:
- are aged between 18 – 64 years,
- have a functional impairment that impacts on their ability to manage activities of daily living,
- have made an application for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and have had their application rejected or, require support while applying for the NDIS or, are appealing an access decision, and
- have no or limited informal supports.
End of Life (EoL) Packages
Are available to people of any age who:
- have progressive life limiting conditions,
- are experiencing a palliative care phase that is unstable or deteriorating,
- have a condition that limits their ability to manage their daily living tasks,
- wish to die in their own homes or to remain at home for as long as possible, and
- have family members or a carer that requires support.
Is the OHC Program available in my area?
Care Connect is funded to provide OHC support through the following Local Health Districts:
- Illawarra and Shoalhaven Local Health District
- North Sydney Local Health District
- Northern NSW Local Health District
- South East Sydney Local Health District
- Vincent’s Health Network.
How do I access Out of Hospital Care?
Hospital staff will discuss the program with you and your family and/or carer. Referrals can only be made by the Local Health District (LHD).
What can I expect?
After being referred by the LHD a Care Connect Client Adviser will assess your eligibility whilst you are in hospital, and work with you to develop a Care Plan tailored to meet your individual needs.
Your Care Plan may include referrals to mainstream services including the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and the Home Care Packages (HCP) program. Services may include support with daily living activities including personal care (showering, dressing), domestic duties (house cleaning, washing, ironing, laundry), gardening, meal preparation and assistance accessing transport to or from appointments.
How Care Connect supports you
We believe that there should be no compromise on how you, or your loved ones, live your lives. Care Connect’s carefully selected expert team is passionate about providing only the highest quality in-home care, whilst empowering people to remain independent, connected, and active in their communities as much as possible.
With more than 25 years’ experience in connecting people with aged care, disability and respite services, you can be assured of personalised support and delivery of the best care possible. Our model of case management, coupled with a large network of trusted providers, means we can connect people with the help they need in a timely and reliable manner as they are discharged from hospital.
Our expert team can:
- support you to remain living independently at home for as long as possible
- provide you with truly independent advice and guidance
- connect you with tailored services that meet your individual needs
- help you save time, as we have already done the service provider searching and screening for you
- help you navigate the aged care and disability systems.
A qualified Care Connect Client Adviser will work with you to ensure that you receive services as identified in your Care Plan. Your Client Adviser will monitor your allocated services and give you further referrals for ongoing support if required.
Is there a cost?
Yes. There will be a cost of $10 per week for every week that you are on the ComPacks/SASH program. There is no cost for the End of Life program.
Further information
To check if you are eligible or for further information about Out of Hospital Care, please contact your Local Health District office or speak to a health-worker in your hospital.
Confidentiality
At Care Connect we are committed to the highest possible confidentiality and privacy standards. This ensures that any information shared with Care Connect is dealt with according to legislative and regulatory requirements.
After returning home from hospital I received your ComPacks Program. The girls were so wonderful, they really understood my needs. After the program I was walking and much stronger. I will always be grateful for what the girls did for me.
Judy