In home strength and balance (referral)

All practices in the Te Whatu Ora Waikato region can refer to this service. 

Patients are eligible for the in-home programme if they:   

• are aged 75 years and older living within the Te Whatu Ora Waikato boundary and meet criteria for publicly funded health services or are identified as too frail to safely leave home to attend a class 
• are Māori or Pacific people aged 65 years and older and meet the criteria 
• have had at least one fall in the past 90 days 
• are reliant on a walking frame inside and around the home, unable to stand in balance with feet together and turn their head from side to side or unable to stand from a chair without assistance from another person. 

• People in rest home or hospital care. 
• People living dependently in an aged care facility. 
• People with severe cognitive impairment. 

This is not a claimable service; this is a service that you can refer patients to as follows.

If the patient responds yes to one or more of the following.

• Have you fallen in the last year? 
• Are you scared of falling? 
• Have you stopped doing an activity because you might fall? 
• Do you need to use two hands to rise from a chair? 

Refer to local strength and balance services via BPAC eReferral as appropriate. The strength and balance service will determine who will benefit most from the in-home programme or community group classes.

The referrer can indicate their appropriate service recommendation along with the clinical indicators supporting this. A further service stability assessment will be carried out with the person over the phone.  

Discretion will be used at triage regarding lack of transport or no local classes available as a reason for the in-home service. 

No.

This service is funded by ACC.