Healthy North Coast has announced a $350,000 initiative aimed at improving health and wellbeing for patients as they begin to age by building the capacity of nurses working in general practice across the North Coast.

The investment, funded as part of the Australian Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care via the Primary Health Network (PHN) program, is designed to equip nurses in general practice with specialised education and coaching, enhancing skills in chronic disease management and early intervention, to help older people in the region live and age well.

Monika Wheeler, CEO of Healthy North Coast, highlighted the critical role nurses will play in the future of health care on the North Coast.

“With one in three residents projected to be over the age of sixty-five on the North Coast in less than a decade, our health system will face enormous pressure if we don’t start to shift the dial in healthy ageing and reducing chronic disease prevalence.

“This investment will enable practice nurses to operate at the top of their scope, empowering them to provide comprehensive care and support older people in managing their health proactively. It’s a vital step to ensuring that our workforce is prepared for the challenges ahead.”

The education program, which is being trialled in a pilot involving six general practices across the North Coast, will support nurses to deliver extended patient appointments, allowing for more time to focus on healthy ageing strategies and the management of chronic conditions.

The six practices selected for the pilot range from Lakewood in the south to Mullumbimby and Kyogle in the north.

Nurses in these practices will receive training and support to strengthen their ability to support patients in healthy lifestyle, the dementia journey, end-of-life planning and support, and multimorbidity management. These additional skills will allow nurses to offer compassionate, comprehensive care

much earlier to people on their ageing journey, contributing to increased confidence in self-managing age-related conditions and the ability to live quality lives for longer.

The $350,000 pilot is part of a larger investment of $650,000 into the older person’s nursing workforce as identified in Healthy North Coast’s Healthy Ageing Strategy, which addresses the critical need for a sustainable and capable primary and aged care workforce across the region.

Other initiatives as part of this package include programs for nurses in Residential Aged Care and the development of new healthy ageing HealthPathways to assist practitioners at the point of care.

Dr Tony Lembke, partner GP at Alstonville Clinic, is a member of the Specialist Nurse Education consortia that were awarded the contract to design and implement the education package for participating nurses:

“Promoting healthy ageing is a key role of general practice. This new program allows our highly skilled practice nurses to take a lead in developing innovative ways of partnering with patients in all stages of their health journey.”

Amanda Moss, Practice Nurse at Woodburn Health, was thrilled to be announced among the successful applicants:

“The professional development for practice nurses is an exciting opportunity, as it will ensure that our team is better equipped to meet the complex needs of our aging population, giving them confidence and contributing to a more coordinated and holistic approach to care.”

Participating nurses will commence the pilot education program in the coming weeks. After that, the program’s tools and supporting resources will be available to all practices across the North Coast in a region-wide rollout.