Navigating complex care needs: all you need to know

In Australia today, there is a surge in the demand for aged and disability services, with many of them requiring complex care. Only a few seniors and people living with disabilities can manage with standard care.

Complex care needs include cognitive impairment and vulnerability issues like healthcare-associated infections. Navigating this can be a burden for families, especially when transition sets in.

Questions like “What services are available?”, “Who coordinates the care team?” often pop up. This blog will answer all those questions, complete with available services and options.

You will also learn what to do when care becomes complex, how to recognise higher needs and the roles care providers play.

Recognising the signs of complex care needs

The first step in serving care needs is identifying when care has become complex. Below are key indicators of this shift.

Multiple health conditions

Living with multiple health conditions is a sign of complex care needs. These overlapping conditions require comprehensive care because regular care services cannot offer the full care services needed.

In situations like this, the role of care providers becomes crucial. There has to be smooth communication between family members, medical professionals, and personal support workers.

This approach helps to reduce hospital visits. It also helps individuals to maintain independence and stability. 

Frequent care transitions

Making repeated shifts between care facilities can expose an individual to adverse events. This is because care transitions require changes in medication, routines, and updating assessments. 

Without efficient continuity of care, patients may relapse, or have their conditions worsen. Families may also find these shifts disruptive.

The presence of a coordinated care team reduces the risk of complications during shifts. Integrated health and social care models can also be deployed to bridge these gaps.

Cognitive impairment 

Dementia and memory after stroke is another indication of complex care needs. Someone suffering from cognitive impairment will have difficulty executing basic household chores.

At the expense of their wellbeing, families might have to step in and offer care support. However, it cannot be on the same level as a health and social care provider. 

Relevant studies have shown that care providers offer quality care services.  They can design care options and offer structured assessments to help make the individual’s life safer. This, in turn, reduces the stress they face. 

When there is reduced mobility

Stagnancy could be a breeding point for healthcare-associated infections. To prevent this and reduce the risk of pressure injuries, complex care needs are required. 

Care providers help to address this challenge by curating mobility exercises. Infections aside, reduced mobility can help prevent extended hospital stays and long-term disability.

Social vulnerability 

When health challenges occur, they do not exist in isolation. Social circumstances often trigger it. Loneliness and reduced social participation can compound existing medical issues.

Recognising these issues is key to managing complex care needs. Care providers and community services play a vital role here by encouraging participation in community activities.

This strengthens social connections. It also helps to break the cycle of social vulnerability.

Family strain

While caring for a loved one seems rewarding, it often takes a toll over time. Providing ongoing support for individuals with chronic illnesses can strain family relationships. It can also disrupt the emotional balance of family members and friends.

All these are cues that complex care needs are required. They are blueprints for care providers to curate structured intervention. Access to peer support workers, carer respite programmes, and counselling can also make a difference here.

Role of caregivers in complex care needs

Some of the roles that care providers play to ensure a guaranteed response are listed below.

• Direct support delivery

Care providers also serve as personal support workers and peer support workers. They play vital roles in medication management, care assistance, companionship, and so on. They ensure no one is isolated.

• Advocacy and guidance

Providers counsel families. They help them to understand the difference between regular care services and complex care needs. They also take them through the various care options and the funding pathways available. This helps to reduce confusion when things become heated.

• Planning and coordination

Care givers map out integrated care plans that combine community resources, medical treatment, and emotional support. These plans help to avoid gaps during care transitions.

• Collaboration with patients and their families

Caregivers work towards partnering with patients and their loved ones. In doing this, they deploy the integrated Patient-Shared Decision-Making Model (IP-SDM). The IP-SDM model ensures that the individual is a part of the care decision-making process.

• Ensuring continuity of care

When care is discontinued over a period, there is a high chance of relapse. However, care providers ensure there is no disruption in care services. This reduces the risk of fragmented care and prevents adverse events. 

• Monitoring and assessment 

Care providers identify risk factors early. Then they collaborate with health and social care providers to ensure nothing is overlooked.

Available care services and options 

Families whose loved ones are navigating complex care needs can choose from a variety of services. Some of them include;

• Residential Care

This type of care offers higher support, such as nursing supervision and long-term placement when needed.

• Home Care

This care service is exclusive. It is offered to people who want to remain in a familiar environment while they receive care. It provides support from personal care to allied health therapies. It is like a person and family centred care.

• Specialist Care

This care service addresses core chronic illnesses. Cognitive impairment, mobility decline, and palliative care are services offered in specialist care.

Navigating complex care needs can be challenging, but you don’t have to face it alone. Collaborating with care providers can provide you with integrated support and help you make interrelated decisions.

Take the first step today! Let care providers do the heavy lifting and reduce social vulnerability.