Medical care of older persons in residential facilities

Acknowledgements

The first three editions of the Medical care of older persons in residential aged care facilities were prepared by the previous editor, Andris Darzins, with The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) National Care of Older Persons Committee. The development of this fourth edition aimed to retain the practical clinical focus of the highly regarded third edition, while responding to recent changes affecting medical practice and the residential aged care industry. We believe that this edition meets a need for information on medical care of residents, however it is not a textbook and we could not include all relevant clinical topics (eg. Parkinson disease and related disorders).

This fourth edition was prepared by Denise Ruth, editor, with Sheila Neve, project worker, and members of the RACGP Silver Book National Task Force. Information in this edition is based on general practice and aged care literature, plus multidisciplinary expert opinion. The information and structure of the book were reviewed and critiqued through a process of national consultations with the RACGP Silver Book National Taskforce, the RACGP South Australian Joint Care of Older Persons Committee, divisions of general practice, individual general practitioners, consumers and other experts.

Members of the RACGP Silver Book National Taskforce

Denise Ruth, GP Chair (Editor, 4th edition)
Debbie Bampton, Australian Divisions of General Practice
Andris Darzins, RACGP (Editor, previous three editions)
Peter Ford, Australian Medical Association
Kendall Goldsmith, Primary Care, Department of Health and Ageing
Rob Grenfell, Rural Doctors Association Australia
Kate Hurrell, Geriaction
Brendan Kay, RACGP
Ann McBryde, Australian Divisions of General Practice
Katie Mickel, Australian Physiotherapy Association
Joy Murch, Aged Care Association Australia
Gill Pierce, Carers Victoria, representing Carers Australia
Joanne Ramadge, Aged Care, Department of Health and Ageing
Sam Scherer, geriatrician, Royal Freemasons Homes of Victoria
Pat Sparrow, Aged and Community Services Australia
Ian Todd, Pharmacy Guild of South Australia
Rohan Vora, RACGP National Standing Committee - Quality Care
Ian Yates, National Seniors Partnership, National Aged Care Alliance

Additional advice was given by members of the RACGP South Australian Joint Care of Older Persons Committee: Richard Chittleborough, Lloyd Evans, Peter Ford, Michael Forwood, Roger Hunt, Bob Penhall, and Robert Prowse

Other contributors

Soraya Arrage, Brisbane North Division of General Practice
Marian Baker, general practitioner, New South Wales
Nicholas Beenard, general practitioner, New South Wales
Michael Bourke, Australian Falls Prevention Project for Hospitals and Residential Care Facilities, Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care
Christine Boyce, general practitioner, Tasmania
Colin Crook, Ballarat & District Division of General Practice
Peteris Darzins, geriatrician, Monash University, Victoria
Michel Dorevitch, geriatrician, Centre for Applied Gerontology, Victoria
Christine Foo, John Paul Village, New South Wales
Jane Fuller, general practitioner, Tasmania
George Golding, GP Association, Victoria
Belinda Loveless, Adelaide North Eastern Division of General Practice
Judy Lumby, College of Nursing
Janine Lundie and the Aged Care GP Panel, Sutherland Division of General Practice
Jane Measday, West Victoria Division of General Practice
Judy Smith, Royal District Nursing Service
John Sniatynskyj, general practitioner, South Australia
Sue Templeton, Royal District Nursing Service
Milana Votrubec, general practitioner, New South Wales
Peter Waxman, Department Human Services, Victoria
Craig Whitehead, Repatriation General Hospital, South Australia
Mark Yates, geriatrician, Australian Medical Association
Robert Yeoh, general practitioner, Alzheimer's Association

Staff of the RACGP provided administrative support

This publication has been endorsed by the Australian Divisions of General Practice (ADGP), the Australian Medical Association (AMA), and the Australian Society for Geriatric Medicine (ASGM).

The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing provided funding for the development of this publication.