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Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) acknowledges that as we age our care often becomes more complex. People over 65 years often have special needs when compared to younger patients. ACE focuses on maintaining your mobility, independence and providing holistic care. We aim to return you back to your home or hostel.
 Who are we?
We are the Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Team, part of the Rehabilitation & Aged Care Service at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health. We are a multi disciplinary
team, based at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital. The ACE Team includes geriatricians (doctors who specialise in the care of people over the age of 65 years) and
a registrar (senior hospital doctor), project leader, Nursing Unit Manager (formerly called charge nurse), ward nurses, physiotherapist, social worker and occupational therapist.
What do we do?
Most older patients who are acutely ill are admitted from the Emergency Department under a
medical specialist. For example, if you have chest pain you’re admitted under a Cardiologist,
who will treat your heart condition. The ACE Geriatrician and their team will share your care
with the medical specialist. The ACE Geriatrician will assess the way you function at home,
looking at issues such as your living arrangements, diet, mobility, memory changes, recent
changes in your health, community support and any needs that are currently not being met.
This includes any anticipated support you may need to return home. The ACE team will work with
you, your carer or significant other to develop a care plan that suits you. The ACE Geriatrician
and the Pharmacist will review your medications for any unwanted side effects. The ACE Team will
discuss your care with the medical team to provide you with the best possible outcome.
Your discharge planning will have commenced in the Emergency Department with staff advising
that you would benefit from the input of the ACE team, focusing on maintaining your muscle
strength and independence.
The Nursing Unit Manager will organise the physiotherapist, social worker, and occupational
therapist to do an assessment and treatment as appropriate.
The ACE model of care encourages the following types of activity:
- Your Specialist will confirm your level of activity. The nurses will encourage you to be as
active and independent as possible. This will maintain your muscle strength and confidence.
- The nurses will encourage you to wriggle in bed, sit out of bed, and regularly move between
your bed and chair. You may initially walk only one way to the toilet and take the wheelchair
back but with increasing strength and confidence you will be able to walk both ways.
- We want you to clean your teeth, do your nails, put on your make up, get out of your pyjamas
into conformable clothing and put on your socks and shoes.
- As you gather strength you will be invited to have your lunch at the table in the activity room.
This is an opportunity to socialise with people in a similar situation to you.
- We have Hospital Volunteers who, with your consent, will come and have a chat with you, discuss
current affairs or read a book to you.
- Our Mobility Enhancement Program will supply some one to take you for short walks and gradually
increase the walking distance.
- Our team functions within the principles of informed consent, confidentiality and respect for
your privacy.
How you can access our service
When you are admitted to the Emergency Department the nursing and medical staff will assess your current condition and allocate you to ACE,
if appropriate. As part of an integrated service the Aged Care Service in Emergency Team (ASET)
may assess you and request you be admitted to ACE. If you feel that you or your relative would
benefit from this type of care you can request consideration for the program yourself.
Where you can find us
ACE is located on one acute ward currently and is due for expansion in July 2004.
What are our hours?
Patients are allocated to ACE while in the Emergency Department and transfer to the ward is
available 24 hours a day.
How you can contact us
If you would like more information or to discuss the program please contact Jenny Houston, project leader, on
telephone 9477-9354 (located on Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital campus in Old Leighton Lodge).
When you arrive
When you arrive in the Emergency Department you will be assessed, and if appropriate and there is a bed available, you will be allocated to ACE.
More information
- The ACE model of care has been practiced in America for the past 7 years with improved
patient outcomes and increased levels of patient and staff satisfaction.
- A four bed ward was closed to create a activity/dining room. We are hoping to get some
comfortable lounges and a TV in this room. We have a dining table and chairs there at present.
- In some of the wards the bathrooms have been remodelled to facilitate safety and patient access
and so independence.
- The Mobility Enhancement Project has 2 enrolled nurses who work with the ACE team. The
physiotherapist and Nursing Unit Manager identify patients who would benefit from regular walks.
The walks maybe in the hospital ward or in the hospital grounds.
Acute Care of the Elderly commenced as a special project
- This project was initially funded and evaluated by the National Demonstration Hospitals
Program Phase Four, Lead Hospital - Ballarat Health Service, from May 2002 until June 2003.
- The program demonstrated improved patient outcomes and has been supported by the Hospital Executive since then.
- ACE is being rolled out to other wards in the hospital in stages.
Information about the Rehabilitation and Aged Care Service is available. Information on accessing other RACS services is available by following the links
to those services:
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