Capecare in Busselton will be the first regional location for the Western Australian Government’s Time to Think program.

Time to Think allows older people in the South West more time to plan their next steps following a hospital stay, and in turn, helps to free hospital beds and provide a dedicated support service.

In announcing Capecare’s involvement, WA’s Aged Care and Seniors Minister Simone McGurk said the introduction of the program’s first beds in the South West was a significant milestone in improving access for regional communities, meaning more older Western Australians can benefit from this valuable support.

18 beds at Capecare’s Busselton campus have been added to the program which now totals 87 short-term places across aged care homes in WA. The program launched in May this year.

Capecare CEO Tim Nayton said the organisation had already been successfully providing a hospital transition pilot program.

“We’re excited to expand our work in this important area and be part of the Time to Think program,” he said.

“We witnessed first-hand the importance and value of supporting local hospitals, and individuals while they plan longer-term care arrangements.

“Time to Think clients are supported by Capecare with reablement and placement coordination to ensure they can choose their appropriate future home which might be residential aged care or a return to their home in the community.

“It is an important program in the broader model of health management, helping to free up public hospital beds, particularly in the South West where they are at such a premium.

“As a regionally based aged care provider our philosophy is to support the community and we have been doing so for almost 65 years with aged care services, so this program is a natural extension of our work.”

“The priority for all of our aged care services is to ensure that older people, their carers and families, and our community continue to receive the support they need, when they need it,” he said.