A new model of care aimed at improving how older people are treated in hospital has been launched by Minister for State at the Department of Health Kathleen Lynch.

The initiative is aimed at significantly improving the access for frail older patients to specialist geriatric teams (doctors, nurses, and therapists), day hospitals, specialist inpatient beds and rehabilitation beds.

This will improve the quality of care for older people and shorten their length of stay in hospital, according to the HSE.

The model of care has been developed by nurses, doctors and therapists working in frontline services, in consultation with patients and HSE Services for Older People, as part of the National Clinical Programme for Older People.

By providing access to the right range of services at the right time, as set out in the model of care, the overall health and well-being of the older person can be improved, their stay in hospital can be reduced, and the likelihood of them needing to be admitted to long-term care may also reduce, the HSE said.

The new model, amongst other things, promises rapid access for patients to specialist geriatric teams in hospitals, a standardised comprehensive assessment of their needs by a multidisciplinary team, and improved access to dedicated specialist inpatient care through establishment of specialist geriatric wards focused coordinated care by a ring-fenced multidisciplinary teams.