Our aging population is putting increasing pressure on the hospital system in Australia. The number of older Australians presenting to emergency departments is steadily increasing. Between 2015-16 and 2019-20, the number of hospitalisations of people aged 75 to 84 increased by 3%. This was the largest increase among any age group.

Older Australians account for half of all hospital bed days nationally.

The consequences of this can be significant. It can lead to overcrowded hospitals, which contributes to issues like ambulance ramping and extended wait times in emergency departments.

But a new program developed by Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital might just have found the solution to reducing hospital admissions for older Australians.

So, what does the program involve and what benefits has it provided?

How does the program work?

In a trial, St Vincent’s has embedded a geriatrician in its emergency department.

A geriatrician is a medical doctor who specialises in issues related to aging. In this case, they work to identify support services that may allow the patient to recover safely at home.

After the patient is discharged, they receive daily visits from medical professionals depending on their needs. This could include doctors, nurses,  aged care physiotherapists or social workers.

They are also given a 24-hour hotline to ring if their condition deteriorates.

Importantly, the hospital says the program is not suitable for all patients and there will always be people who need to be in hospital. Rather, the program is designed for those who can receive the treatment they require without the need for hospital care.

How did the trial reduce hospital admissions for older Australians?

According to St Vincent’s, in one year, the program has safely diverted 150 people from hospital wards. This has saved 900 bed days in the process. The hospital estimates the program freed up up to four hospital beds each day for patients who required a higher level of care. About half of the patients who had been planned for admission were sent back home, to an aged care facility or rehabilitation service instead.

Over the course of a year, the program has helped treat patients with a variety of medical conditions. This includes those experiencing heart and lung issues and those recovering from falls and fractures.

The hospital said they saw no increase in the number of hospital re-admissions among those who were diverted from the hospital.
Of the patients treated by a similar program at the Monash Medical Centre, half were discharged from emergency and only 4 per cent required re-admission.

Such has been the trial’s success that the program is now operating on an ongoing basis.

The benefits of recovering at home

This not only benefits hospital capacity but also the patients.

Geriatrician Richard Kane is the clinical lead of geriatric medicine at St Vincent’s. He says that hospital admission does not always equal the best outcome of recovery.

“Once a cause is identified and dangerous causes are excluded, they can recover just as effectively in their own home,” Dr Kane told the ABC.

He says evidence suggests recovering in hospital can actually be riskier than recovering at home.

“Contrary to what you might think, their risk of falls increases, their risk of becoming delirious or confused increases,” he said.

Allowing older Australians to recover at home doesn’t just benefit our hospital system. It can also lead to improved patient outcomes.

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Article References

Carbonell, R & Branley, A (25 April 2025) ‘Emergency department trial halves number of elderly people taking up ward beds’, ABC News, accessed 28 April 2025.

Partington, A, Whitehead, C & Karnon, J (18 September 2024) ‘Could geriatric hospitals reduce pressure on the health system? Maybe – but improving aged care is paramount’, The Conversation, accessed 28 April 2025.