Healthcare Support Services for Older Residents of Care Homes: What? Where? How? Rebecca Hays, David Challis, Paul Clarkson, Sue Tucker and Angela Worden Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU), University of Manchester
Background
Methods
(Expected) Outcomes
The provision of health services to older care home residents presents a considerable challenge to the NHS, since many of these residents have multiple and complex needs.
The study design has four main stages:
This study will provide a range of information regarding support services dedicated to addressing the physical healthcare needs of older people permanently resident in care homes.
1. Systematic literature review Electronic database search for: - English language documents - Publications from the past 20 years - Descriptions of relevant services
A range of local initiatives have been emerging in order to improve the assessment and management of older care home residents.
Photograph by Hammersmith & Fulham Council (flickr)
Data extraction regarding services’: - Aims and activities - Staffing and responsibilities - Costs and outcomes
2. National survey Identify services through: - Directors of Primary Care Trusts and equivalent organisations across the UK - Consultant members of the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) - A snowball sample Survey service leads regarding: - How their services are organised - How their services are provided
Existing evidence suggests that specialist services, dedicated to addressing the healthcare needs of older care home residents, can improve resident outcomes and reduce costs. However, little is known about the most effective ways to organise and deliver such support.
WHAT
have been developed to:
•
concentrate on residents’ general healthcare needs, specific needs (e.g. wound care), or specific risks (e.g. falls).
•
undertake assessment then provide recommendations and/or management.
•
address the training needs of care home staff.
WHERE
have been delivered in:
•
Europe (e.g. England and Norway) and North America (e.g. USA and Canada).
•
Asia (e.g. Hong Kong) and Australasia (e.g. Australia and New Zealand).
HOW
can be provided by:
•
lone professionals, partnerships of individual professionals or small teams.
3. Categorisation
•
Use obtained data to: - Develop a typology of models of care - Identify services that are representative of each model
multi-disciplinary teams or partnerships of multi-disciplinary teams.
Conclusions
4. Focus groups / interviews In-depth exploration of selected services’: - Operation - Costs - Perceived effectiveness
Before any conclusions can be drawn, we first need to know:
Data collection is ongoing, but preliminary analyses show such services:
This study will contribute greatly to the current level of knowledge in this area by bringing together and adding to previous research to inform the future development of dedicated, healthcare support services. Ultimately, we hope this work will lead to improvements in quality of care for, and the health and wellbeing of older care home residents.
WHAT services have been developed, tried and tested. WHERE HOW
services are available. different services are delivered.
We have received funding from BUPA to develop the evidence base in this area by:
2. Developing a categorisation of service types. 3. Reviewing the effectiveness and costs of different service types. (The Manchester PSSRU is investigating the role of Community Mental Health Teams in care homes through a concurrent and complementary programme of work.)
For more information, please contact Rebecca Hays on: 0161 275 5679, or by email at:
[email protected]
Template produced at the Graphics Support Workshop, Media Centre
1. Providing an overview of support services designed to address the physical healthcare needs of older care home residents.
Photograph by Lynne Featherstone (flickr)
Aims and Objectives
