scholarly journals Supporting Older Co-Resident Carers of Older People – The Impact of Care Act Implementation in Four Local Authorities in England

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Gareth O’Rourke ◽  
Liz Lloyd ◽  
Agnes Bezzina ◽  
Ailsa Cameron ◽  
Tricia Jessiman ◽  
...  

The Care Act 2014 provides for ‘parity of esteem’ between people with social care needs and carers. This is achieved by extending the principles of prevention and wellbeing to carers; reinforcing carers’ right to an assessment; and setting national eligibility criteria for access to carer support services. This article reports on research that examined the impact of these changes on older co-resident carers of older people in four English local authorities. Findings are described in relation to four key themes: organisational arrangements and rationale; the aims of carer support and preventative services; design and delivery of carer assessment; and barriers to assessment and support. The findings of the research suggest that, despite the new statutory requirements, underlying contradictions and tensions in local authorities’ relationship with carers, and efforts to support them, remain unresolved.

Author(s):  
Fiona Morgan ◽  
Minna Zechner

This article compares cash-for-care schemes supporting older people with health-related social care needs, as well as their informal carers, in England and Finland. The meso-level policy analysis drills down into the governance arrangements underpinning cash-for-care schemes, including their eligibility criteria, generosity and territorial variations. It explores their implicit and explicit intentions, function and effects in defamilialising, familialising or refamilialising families’ caring responsibilities. This reveals inconsistencies in the familialising and defamilialising effects of schemes according to individuals’ characteristics, choices and policy restrictions. It also exposes an overarching tendency to familialise or refamilialise the activity of caring for older people, which is exacerbated by austerity-related politics.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 108-122
Author(s):  
Patricia Dearnaley ◽  
Joanne E. Smith

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a wider debate around the coordination of workforce planning in non-statutory services (in this case, specialist housing for older people or those with long-term health and social care needs, such as learning disabilities). The authors argue that current NHS reforms do not go far enough in that they fail to include specialist housing and its workforce in integration, and by doing so, will be unable to optimise the potential efficiencies and streamlining of service delivery to this group. Design/methodology/approach The paper used exploratory study using existing research and data, enhanced by documentary analysis from industry bodies, regulators and policy think tanks. Findings That to achieve the greatest operational and fiscal impact upon the health care services, priority must be given to improving the efficiency and coordination of services to older people and those requiring nursing homes or registered care across the public and third sectors through the integration of service delivery and workforce planning. Research limitations/implications Whilst generalisable and achievable, the model proposed within the paper cannot be fully tested theoretically and requires further testing the in real health and social care market to evidence its practicality, improved quality of care and financial benefits. Originality/value The paper highlights some potential limitations to the current NHS reforms: by integrating non-statutory services, planned efficiency savings may be optimised and service delivery improved.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Aisling M. O'Halloran ◽  
Peter Hartley ◽  
David Moloney ◽  
Christine McGarrigle ◽  
Rose Anne Kenny ◽  
...  

Background: There is increasing policy interest in the consideration of frailty measures (rather than chronological age alone) to inform more equitable allocation of health and social care resources. In this study the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) classification tree was applied to data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) and correlated with health and social care utilisation. CFS transitions over time were also explored. Methods: Applying the CFS classification tree algorithm, secondary analyses of TILDA data were performed to examine distributions of health and social care by CFS categories using descriptive statistics weighted to the population of Ireland aged ≥65 years at Wave 5 (n=3,441; mean age 74.5 (SD ±7.0) years, 54.7% female). CFS transitions over 8 years and (Waves 1-5) were investigated using multi-state Markov models and alluvial charts. Results: The prevalence of CFS categories at Wave 5 were: 6% ‘very fit’, 36% ‘fit’, 31% ‘managing well’, 16% ‘vulnerable’, 6% ‘mildly frail’, 4% ‘moderately frail’ and 1% ‘severely frail’. No participants were ‘very severely frail’ or ‘terminally ill’. Increasing CFS categories were associated with increasing hospital and community health services use and increasing hours of formal and informal social care provision. The transitions analyses suggested CFS transitions are dynamic, with 2-year probability of transitioning from ‘fit’ (CFS1-3) to ‘vulnerable’ (CFS4), and ‘fit’ to ‘frail’ (CFS5+) at 34% and 6%, respectively. ‘Vulnerable’ and ‘frail’ had a 22% and 17% probability of reversal to ‘fit’ and ‘vulnerable’, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the CFS classification tree stratified the TILDA population aged ≥65 years into subgroups with increasing health and social care needs. The CFS could be used to aid the allocation of health and social care resources in older people in Ireland. We recommend that CFS status in individuals is reviewed at least every 2 years.


Author(s):  
Feliciano Villar ◽  
Rodrigo Serrat ◽  
Annette Bilfeldt ◽  
Joe Larragy

AbstractLiving in a long-term care (LTC) institution provides older people experiencing health and social problems with a comprehensive range of support services that address their quality of life. Despite access to such services, challenges arise in relation to their participation in key activities both within and outside the institution. This chapter examines such challenges, reviewing and describing ways to prevent exclusion along various domains, specifically social relationships, civic participation and socio-cultural life. Firstly, we discuss ways in which bio-medical models of care and the quality control systems, which are dominant in LTC services, standardise care, tending to put decisions exclusively in hands of staff, taking away residents’ autonomy, and ultimately curtailing rights and citizenship status. Secondly, we examine how LTC services might prevent such exclusion and promote older people’s participation in at least four respects: (1) prompting and supporting residents’ ability to take decisions on their own care, (2) favouring the maintenance and creation of social relationships, (3) enabling residents’ participation in the activities and management of the institution, and (4) guaranteeing residents’ rights and full access to citizenship. We discuss the impact and limitations of recent initiatives put into practice in these areas of practice.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Senior ◽  
K Forsyth ◽  
E Walsh ◽  
K O'Hara ◽  
C Stevenson ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundOlder prisoners are the fastest growing subgroup in the English and Welsh prison estate. Existing research highlights that older prisoners have high health and social care needs and that, currently, these needs routinely remain unmet.Objectives(1) To explore the needs of men entering and leaving prison; (2) to describe current provision of services, including integration between health and social care services; and (3) to develop and pilot an intervention for identifying health and social care needs on reception into prison, ensuring that these are systematically addressed during custody.MethodsThe research programme was a mixed-methods study comprising four parts: (1) a study of all prisons in England and Wales housing older adult men, establishing current availability and degree of integration between health and social care services through a national survey and qualitative interviews; (2) establishing the health and social care needs of older men entering prison, including experiences of reception into custody, through structured (n = 100) and semistructured (n = 27) interviews; (3) the development and implementation of an intervention to identify and manage the health, social care and custodial needs of older men entering prison; and (4) exploration of the health and social care needs of older men released from prison into the community through qualitative interviews with older prisoners prior to and following discharge from prison. Descriptive statistics were produced for all quantitative data, and qualitative data were analysed using the constant comparison method.ResultsThe number of older prisoner leads has increased in recent years but they do not all appear always to be active in their roles, nor in receipt of specialist training. Nearly half (44%) of establishments do not have an older prisoner policy. There is a lack of integration between health and social care services because of ambiguity regarding responsibility for older prisoners' social care. The responsible social service may be located a considerable distance from where the prisoner is held; in such instances, local social services do not co-ordinate their care. The most frequent unmet need on prison entry was the provision of information about care and treatment. Release planning for older prisoners was frequently non-existent.LimitationsThe study used a cut-off age of 60 years as the lower limit for the definition of an older prisoner; evidence has emerged that supports a redefinition of that cut-off to 50 years. Our study examined the care provided for men and this should be considered if contemplating using the Older prisoner Health and Social Care Assessment and Plan (OHSCAP) with older women in prison.ConclusionThe OHSCAP, developed as part of this study, provided a feasible and acceptable means of identifying and systematically addressing older prisoners' health and social care needs. Future work will include the conduct of a randomised controlled trial to examine the impact of the OHSCAP in terms of improving a range of outcomes, including economic impact.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.


2006 ◽  
Vol os13 (4) ◽  
pp. 130-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Lane ◽  
Jennifer E Gallagher

Following the publication of the National Service Framework for Older People, there have been developments across health and social care to facilitate holistic assessment of older people's needs, through what is called a ‘single assessment process’ or ‘SAP’. In this paper, readers are introduced to the SAP. The process can be seen as a ‘one-stop’ approach to the assessment of vulnerable older people that facilitates cross-referral between the agencies involved and triggers access to dental care. The paper explores the benefits of this new way of working in support of older people and how it will provide an opportunity for innovative dental practitioners to integrate oral healthcare for people with complex health and social care needs into the SAP. In concludes that as local commissioning evolves, opportunities for practitioners to develop targeted services for this important patient group should be expanded to improve the uptake of healthcare and oral healthcare.


Author(s):  
Adrian Bonner

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the relationship between health and housing, regional disparities and responses across England, Wales, and Scotland in the provision of health and social care and local authority commissioning. It considers how the Municipal Corporations Act (1835) led to the establishment of elected town councils. In the mid- to late 20th century, municipalisation gave way to centralised government, which subverted the autonomy of local authorities. Currently, social care is provided and funded by local authorities and private funders. The main objective of social care is to help people to live well and happily, and live as long as they can. This person-centred approach is in contrast to the systems that have been developed to support the health care needs of people. In 2020, poverty still remains a key driver of poor health and wellbeing.


Author(s):  
Henglien Lisa Chen

To address the risks to families of the availability of care for their older family members, this paper explores the impact of different care systems on the way that relevant care actors contribute to the long-term care of older people. It is based on an empirical study of the care needs assessment and care provision in England, the Netherlands and Taiwan. The participants in the study include 143 care actors at national, regional and local levels across the countries. It found that the objective of providing care needs is similar in each of the countries studied. However, the everyday life of professionals and in/formal carers differs based on the care culture and care policy in each country. Overall, care professionals and formal carers experience satisfaction in their caring role when sufficient time is available for them to work with individuals. Face-to-face contact with older people is important to care professionals if adequate needs assessment could be performed. Helping informal carers extend their ability to carry out their role may improve their well-being as carers and reduce the demand for formal care services.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Wenqian Xu

Abstract Social media facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts and information about older people and later life through online networks and communities in contemporary society. Social media content about older people has become important for understanding media representations of older people, but it has not been sufficiently studied. Recent studies suggest that older people are predominantly represented as a disempowered, vulnerable and homogeneous group on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Because local authorities in many countries have begun using Facebook to reach out to and interact with citizens, they are seen as a significant producer of media content about older people and later life. The purpose of this study is to examine the ways in which Swedish local authorities have visually portrayed older people in their use of Facebook compared with other age groups. This research performed a visual content analysis of 1,000 Facebook posts posted by 33 Swedish local authorities, employing ten analytical aspects to describe and interpret the signs, activities and contexts associated with older people and other age groups (infants, children, adolescents and adults). The study found that the representations of older people on the Facebook pages of local authorities appeared to be not very diverse; specifically, older people (including those in residential care homes) were mainly portrayed as remaining socially engaged and moderately physically capable. This media representation destabilised the prevalent negative stereotypes of older people as being out of touch and dependent; however, it collided with the reality of older individuals with care needs. Additionally, this study argues that older people are represented as inferior to the young in terms of physical and technological competence, based on the connotations of the signs. Given that local authorities have progressively incorporated social media into their daily work, it is expected that this study will contribute to a greater understanding of the ways in which local authorities produce (non-)stereotypical representations of older people on social media.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25
Author(s):  
Peter McGill

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on Andrew Jahoda’s article “Depression and people with a learning disability: a way forward”. Design/methodology/approach The paper considers depression and other issues of psychological well-being from the perspective of the eligibility criteria for social care in England as enshrined in the 2014 Care Act. Findings There is a danger of issues of psychological well-being being seen as health rather than social care needs. A more integrated perspective is required. Originality/value The paper illustrates the importance of the role of social care provision in promoting the well-being of people with learning disabilities.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document