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Victorian not-for-profit aged-care provider has launched an online resource for older Australians to assess their physical resilience and take steps to stay independent for longer. The self-screening tool means that older Australians will be in a better position to detect and address early signs of frailty before a serious health decline occurs.

The 鈥� also known as PAT 鈥� was developed on the back of government-funded research that Benetas undertook in 2018 in conjunction with .

Benetas General Manager of Quality, Outcomes and Research Dr Catherine Joyce said this is a much-needed tool 鈥� one in two Australians aged over 60 years who live in their own home are at risk of a relatively minor health issue triggering serious decline.

鈥淥nce that happens, for many there鈥檚 no going back,鈥� Dr Joyce said.

鈥淚f someone has low physical resilience, a small incident like a fall or virus could be the tipping point that means they鈥檒l no longer be able to live independently in the community.

鈥淲e all know someone who has been managing fine, and then an incident which might be minor for other people tips them over into being in need of high care and residential support. This is about getting in early and helping to avoid exactly that,鈥� she said.

The $1.2 million federal government research grant from the Department of Health was designed to find pre-emptive ways for older Australians to better maintain their physical resilience and curb the impact of frailty in the community.

With five simple questions, PAT offers older Australians an evidence-based, user-designed health assessment to monitor physical resilience, coupling this with expert resources to support those in continuing to lead a life they love.

鈥淲e recommend that people complete the quick assessment every six months,鈥� Dr Joyce said.

鈥淭hey seem like simple questions to answer, but collectively, they鈥檙e proven to be strong early indicators for risk of serious health decline. Importantly, there are many steps that we can take to stay healthy and resilient whether we鈥檙e 60 or going on 90.鈥�

Benetas CEO Sandra Hills OAM said that health promotion and early intervention is exactly where aged care needs to be headed.

鈥淭he traditional aged-care services from residential care, home care, clinical and allied health services are all incredibly important, but if we鈥檙e going to meet an ageing population, we really need to be at the forefront of early intervention.

鈥淭his is about ensuring that people and their families have the information they need well in advance of their health declining. Whether you鈥檙e 65 and going for runs or 75 and facing prescription changes, we need people to be monitoring their health, taking proactive steps and not wait until it鈥檚 too late.鈥�

Image credit: 漏stock.adobe.com/au/oneinchpunch