Friday September 18, 2026
Eastern Health will be the first public sector residential aged care service to introduce HIRAID® and the first health service in Australia to have HIRAID® in our residential aged care homes and our emergency departments.
HIRAID® stands for History including Infection risk, Red flags, Assessment, Interventions, Diagnostics, plan, reassess and communicate. It is a framework designed to support nurses in assessing and managing patients, and effective communication with patients, carers and colleagues. It combines all essential elements in delivery of safe, high-quality nursing care.
Eastern Health is rolling out HIRAID® Aged Care at murrenda and Monda Lodge and we will be:
- The first Victorian HIRAID® Aged Care site
- The first publicly funded aged care homes to implement HIRAID® Aged Care
- The first health service in Australia to have implemented both HIRAID® Emergency Department and Aged Care
Eastern Health’s residential aged care facilities are government funded. Many of the 100 older people for whom we care have complex care needs, are completely dependent on nursing care, and require full assistance with activities of daily living. HIRAID® Aged Care is the only validated framework to support aged care nurses to assess and manage older people with complex care needs, and communicate effectively with residents, carers and colleagues .
HIRAID® Aged Care was codesigned with aged care nurses, managers, educators and other key stakeholders from aged care providers and governance agencies; and successfully implemented in 23 private not-for-profit aged care homes in Greater Sydney. HIRAID® Aged Care will enable and empower Eastern Health’s 100 aged care nurses to provide safe and dignified care, consistent with older people’ goals, values and preferences, through evidence-based assessment, person-centred care, fit-for-purpose workflows and documentation, and effective communication.
The framework encapsulates the cyclic nature of nursing practice , in which more than one element may be performed simultaneously. It also embraces the importance of reassessment and communication.
This is only possible thanks to the research collaboration between Eastern Health, Deakin University and The University of Sydney.