Better care for older people

Citation

(2002), "Better care for older people", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2002.06215dab.003

Better care for older people

Better care for older peopleKeywords: Funding for elderly care, UK hospitals, Waiting-lists, Single assessment

New initiatives have been introduced to improve care for older people in the UK.

One of these is the provision of funding of £66 million. Initially, the finance will provide an extra 1,300 intermediate care beds, to support a range of short-term treatment designed to promote independence for older people by reducing the need to go into hospital or by cutting the length of time spent there.

The extra cash will also be used to support the health and social care change agent teams, which have been set up to help prevent lengthy stays in hospital. The winter brings with it extra pressures on health and social care services, leading to cancelled operations and long waits in accident and emergency departments. Teams of "change agents" have been deployed across the country to ensure that GPs, hospitals and social services have robust plans in hand to handle these seasonal demands. The teams comprise experts who have been selected for their experience and knowledge of developing services that provide intermediate care for patients who are well enough to leave hospital but still require support at home or in more suitable facilities. Change agents are not just short-term solutions. The joint plans which they will help forge will remain to ensure that a seamless service remains in place in the future.

New guidance has also been issued to improve access to nursing care for older people. The single assessment process aims to save older people from having to repeat their personal details and needs to different professionals. Health minister Jacqui Smith said: "All too often assessment is done to older people rather than with them and is often duplicated by professionals, because information is not shared.

"Single assessment aims to change this by placing the older person at the centre of the process and recognising that a good assessment is based on the older person's account of their needs and wishes. It acknowledges that older people, not the various professionals they encounter, are the real experts.

"It will ensure that health and social services professionals work better together in assessing older people's needs and planning their care. This should lead to a more uniform approach to assessment across the country, less duplication and paper work, more emphasis on looking at older people's needs in the round and getting the service right the first time."

Under the new system, older people will receive an individual care plan explaining details of the help provided and what should happen in the event of an emergency or change in circumstances.

Single assessment will be phased-in over the next two years.