As part of her Community Matters podcast featuring local leaders, CEO of Community Industry Group Nicky Sloan has started a new series on ‘Bed Block’ to raise awareness of a critical issue.
“It’s no secret that the Illawarra Shoalhaven has some of the worst delayed discharge statistics in the country,” Nicky said.
One in five hospital beds in the Illawarra Shoalhaven is unavailable due to 'bed block' or 'delayed discharge'. This is when elderly and disabled people are admitted to hospital, then treated and ready for discharge – but they need residential care and there are no residential care spots available. So they are stuck, living in hospital. Bed block also hinders the admission of local patients.
In Part 1 of her new podcast series, Nicky talks to Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District CEO Margot Mains about how hospitals are coping with the nearly 200 older people in hospital each night who need to move to, or return to, residential care.
"People are staying in hospital a lot longer," Margot tells Nicky in the interview. "So on average now we are seeing older people who are awaiting placement or community support waiting for 66 days in our hospitals."
Nicky said: “There is no doubt that Margot and her team are bearing the brunt of an issue which is largely due to an inadequate supply of residential aged care beds."
As the Flame reported last year in 'The little peak that could', Nicky led a two-year investigation into the extent of the problem that inspired a groundbreaking meeting last year designed around a simple idea: bringing everyone together. Not just government, industry and not-for-profits, but all three levels and different departments of government.
It was the first time this had been done.
More than 30 people, including NSW Health Minister Ryan Park, attended the meeting in September 2024.
As the peak body for not-for-profit social and community services across southern NSW, Community Industry Group plans to draw more attention to the problem and the people tackling it in 2025.
“The aim of the podcast/vodcast series is to make Bed Block, and the reasons why it is such a major issue in the region, easier for anyone to understand,” Nicky said.
Future episodes will explore the experience from an older person’s point of view and from the family perspective.
Listen to the podcast via YouTube, Spotify or Apple iTunes.
