Thousands of aged-care residents in Australia are avoiding hospital visits as specialist clinicians bring treatment directly to them. A recent case involved a resident with cellulitis who was distressed by the prospect of hospitalisation. Instead, a specialist health team in the Illawarra provided antibiotics and clinical reviews over four days while she remained in her residential facility on the NSW South Coast, surrounded by familiar people and surroundings.

Jenni Hutchins, chief executive of Warrigal, said, "What we knew about this resident … is they got very distressed at the thought of going to hospital, an unfamiliar environment."

Dr John McKenzie, a geriatrician with 30 years of experience in Australia and the UK, emphasized the importance of treating frail older adults outside hospital settings. He explained, "As a geriatrician I spend a lot of my time explaining to people that a hospital isn't a safe place for a frail, older adult. I don't mean that in a truly negative sense. Just we recognise it's a strange environment with bright lights and lots of noise."

New figures show the outreach team accepted 2,502 referrals during the 2025–26 financial year. Dr McKenzie noted that the service could help ease pressure on the local health system, stating, "I think the exit block from hospital, the bed block as it were, is more complicated than simple demand and presentations, but I definitely think we are having an impact."

He also clarified that "Seeing us is not a barrier to hospitalisation, it's an alternative," highlighting the service's role in providing patient-centered care that respects older people's choices.

This outreach approach reflects a win-win for health by keeping aged-care residents in familiar environments while ensuring they receive necessary medical attention.

Sources