AHA undertook this evaluation on behalf of the Department of Health (Victoria). The objective of this project was to examine the performance of the Council of Australian Governments Long Stay Older Patients (COAG LSOP) Victorian initiatives, with a focus on measuring the effectiveness and efficacy against four key impact areas:

•Strengthening attention to the needs of older people in the hospital and community.
•Improving consistency and integration of service delivery.
•Improving access to a range of 'age friendly', appropriate services and settings.
•Reducing the incidence of inappropriate hospital usage by older people.
The evaluation incorporated the Improving Care for Older People (IC4OP) initiative; and the Hospital Admission Risk Program, Better Care for Older People (HARP BCOP) initiative which forms part of Victoria's implementation plan.
The evaluation determined the impact of the COAG LSOP initiative on clients/carers, the workforce and stakeholders, and made recommendations on the sustainability and strategic direction of the initiative. As part of this evaluation, AHA conducted a literature review on current best practice and surveyed ward staff and other appropriate general staff involved with the initiatives.