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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Assessment of Dependence in Activities of Daily Living Among Older Patients in an Acute Care Unit
Published on: September 30, 2020
The acute-aged care interface: exploring the dynamics of 'bed blocking'
Catherine M Travers1, Geoff D McDonnell, Gerald A Broe
1Academic Unit in Geriatric Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Wooloongabba, Queensland, Australia. c.travers1@uq.edu.au
Objective:
To understand the dynamics underlying 'bed-blocking' in Australian public hospitals that is frequently blamed on older patients.
Methods:
Analysis of primary and secondary data of utilisation patterns of hospital and aged care services by older Australians.
Results:
A model of the dynamics at the acute-aged care interface was developed, in which the pathway into permanent high-care Residential Aged Care (RAC) is conceptualised as competing queues for available places by applicants from the hospital, the community and from within RAC facilities. The hospital effectively becomes a safety net to accommodate people with high-care needs who cannot be admitted into RAC in a timely manner.
Conclusion:
The model provides a useful tool to explore some of the issues that give rise to access-block within the public hospital system. Access-block cannot be understood by viewing the hospital system in isolation from other sectors that support the health and well-being of older Australians.
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