50 new transitional care beds helping South Australians recover outside hospital

A partnership between the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and Amplar Health has delivered 50 transitional (step-down) care beds at College Grove, providing more South Australians with appropriate care outside hospital while improving patient flow and reducing pressure on emergency departments.

Transitional care bridges the gap between hospital and home by providing short-term clinical and personal support for patients who no longer need acute hospital care.

Demand for hospital services continues to grow as South Australia's population ages and healthcare needs become more complex.

Transitional care services help ensure hospital beds are available for patients requiring acute treatment while providing appropriate ongoing care for those recovering from illness, surgery or injury.

Following an initial 10-bed opening in April, all 50 transitional care beds delivered through the Central Adelaide Local Health Network and Amplar Health partnership are now operational, including eight dedicated memory support beds as part of Central Adelaide Local Health Network Transition Care Service.

The service provides 24-hour care for patients who are medically ready to leave hospital but still require support before returning home or moving to another care setting.

The College Grove service is part of a growing focus on delivering healthcare outside traditional hospital settings, helping patients transition safely from hospital while improving capacity across the broader health system.

South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing Blair Boyer said the service was helping ensure patients received care in the most appropriate setting while improving capacity across the hospital system.

“As of August, there were 466 patients in South Australian metropolitan public hospitals, and other SA Health services awaiting placement in a residential aged care home. Of these, 124 were waiting for dementia specific care,” Minister Boyer said.

“And in light of that, across Australia an additional 10,000 aged care beds each year will be needed to meet future demand. Of these, 124 were waiting for dementia specific care. But we are doing what we can, by creating the incentive for private investment in aged care facilities, that will take pressure off our health system sooner rather than later.

Amplar Health Group Lead and Chief Executive Robert Read congratulated the government: "This is the health transition Australia needs. By delivering innovative models of care outside of the traditional hospital setting, we're improving access, choice and control for patients. Services like the one at College Grove demonstrate how we can add capacity to the health system in smart and sustainable ways.”

"We're proud to work alongside Central Adelaide Local Health Network to deliver a service that supports hospital flow and responds to the changing healthcare needs of South Australians,” Mr Read said.