Falls in older people - NICE quality standard

"This quality standard covers assessment after a fall and preventing further falls (secondary prevention) in older people living in the community and during a hospital stay. Secondary prevention focuses on interventions targeted at older people with a history of falls."

Falls in older people: assessment after a fall and preventing further falls
NICE quality standard [QS86]
March 2015

Read more here.

Hospital discharge of the elderly - functions, variability and performance-shaping factors

"Precision issues related to (1) decision-making criteria concerning the medical fitness decision and appropriate level of care, (2) quality of discharge planning, (3) degree of patient involvement, and (4) quality of information transfer."

Hospital discharge of the elderly-an observational case study of functions, variability and performance-shaping factors
K Laugaland, K Aase, J Waring
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:365

Read more here.

Crisis response falls team: reducing admissions and repeat falls

"This initiative saves money by reducing the proportion of falls related calls that result in hospital admission. From over 1300 referrals accepted by the CRFT in Northamptonshire in 2012, just over 1000 admissions were avoided." 

Crisis response falls team: reducing admissions and repeat falls
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
QIPP Case Study
August 2014

Read more here.

Better care for older people (GMC)

The General Medical Council have created some new webpages and resources to help doctors improve their care of older patients.

Access the new webpages and resources here.

Exploring variations in access to surgery among older people

"CCGs should evaluate their treatment rates across each 

procedure and seek to explain whether, and if so why, their rates are appropriate. 

CCGs should look to benchmark their own rates against those of their peers, identify 

what action is required to improve access to treatment for older patients and improve 

their assurance process through changes across the commissioning cycle."

Access all ages 2: exploring variations in access to surgery among older people

Royal College of Surgeons, Age UK
July 2014

Read more here.

Looking forward to later life

"If...public services, businesses, civil society and all of us as individuals were ready, both to take advantage of the opportunities and to successfully navigate the challenges of later life, we would experience a triple dividend – increased wellbeing, reduced costs, and increased contribution."

Looking forward to later life: taking an early action approach to our ageing society
Early Action Task Force
2014

Read more here.

A new settlement for health and social care

"In our view, the weight of evidence makes it clear that the present settlement lacks transparency, is inefficient, puts too much weight on individual rather than collective responsibility, and raises a significant moral concern about the lack of equity of treatment for similar levels of need."

A new settlement for health and social care: Interim report
K Barker (Chair), Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England
The King’s Fund
April 2014

Read more here.

Care in crisis: what’s next for social care?

"The care system in England is in crisis. Older people, their families and carers are often placed under incredible pressure navigating a system which is confusing and unfair. Many are denied access to help, while others are forced to sacrifice what they have worked all their lives for."

Care in crisis: what’s next for social care?
Age UK
January 2014
Read more here.

Focus On: Social care for older people

"Given the future trends in population growth and the visible constraints to local government, which is facing further budget cuts in the coming years, it is imperative that we develop better information systems that span care providers for older people."

Focus On: Social care for older people: Reductions in adult social services for older people in England 

S Ismail, R Thorlby, H Holder

The Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust

March 2014

Read more here.

Providing integrated care for older people with complex needs

"This report synthesises evidence from seven case study programmes, each from a different country, that are successfully delivering integrated health and social care for older people with complex needs. The aim is to identify lessons for policy-makers and service providers to help them improve how care is designed and co-ordinated."

Providing integrated care for older people with complex needs: Lessons from seven international case studies
Nick Goodwin, Anna Dixon, Geoff Anderson, Walter Wodchis
The King's Fund
January 2014

Read more here.

Older people's prevention services

"A challenge remains in how best to help Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) to set clear objectives and demonstrate their impact, without stifling their holistic and needs-driven approach to development and delivery."

Older people's prevention services: comparing perspectives of local authorities and the third sector
National Institute for Health Research
November 2013

Read more here.

Caring for an ageing population

"We looked beyond our own system to examine how Japan has tried to address the conundrum of providing sufficient and appropriate services for an increasing number of frail older people in an affordable and equitable way."

Caring for an ageing population
N Curry, H Holder, L Patterson
November 2013

Read more here.

Close to home recommendations review

"A major concern is that the low rates paid under some local authority contracts could make it difficult for providers to meet the assessed needs of older people in ways that protect their human rights."

Close to home recommendations review
Equality and Human Rights Commission
October 2013

Read more here.

Supporting working carers

"This report is a landmark statement from business and Government that more can and should be done to support people who want to combine caring for a family member with working."

Supporting working carers: the benefits to families, business and the economy
HM Government
August 2013

Read more here.

Exploring the system-wide costs of falls in older people in Torbay

"This paper uses Torbay’s unique patient-level linked data set to explore the cost of the care pathway for older people admitted to hospital as a result of a fall by tracking their care costs in the 12 months before and after their fall."

Exploring the system-wide costs of falls in older people in Torbay
Y Tian, J Thompson, D Buck, L Sonola
The King's Fund
August 2013

Read more here.

Commissioning care and support for older people with high support needs

"Many models of care and support are based on mutually valued relationships and older people's contributions, but most operate beneath the radar of public sector commissioners."

Commissioning care and support for older people with high support needs
J Carrier
Joseph Rowntree Foundation
July 2013

Read the summary here.

Inner North West London Integrated Care Pilot

"The North West London Integrated Care Pilot (ICP) is a large-scale innovative programme designed to improve the coordination of care for people over 75 years of age, and adults living with diabetes."

Evaluation of the first year of the Inner North West London Integrated Care Pilot
Nuffield Trust
May 2013

Read more here.

Joint health and social care quality standards

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published the first joint health and social care quality standards, covering:

• QS30: Supporting people to live well with dementia
• QS31: Health and wellbeing of looked after children and young people health and wellbeing of looked-after children

Care for older people

"This research summary sets out projections of public expenditure on social care and continuing health care for people aged 65 or over in England from 2010 to 2022."

Care for older people
R Wittenberg, B Hu, A Comas-Herrera, JL Fernandez
Nuffield Trust
December 2012

Read more here.

Delay in discharge and its impact on unnecessary hospital bed occupancy

"Elderly patients experiencing acute surgical admission and discharge to community hospitals had prolonged length-of-stay due to significant delays associated with care of the elderly provision."

Delay in discharge and its impact on unnecessary hospital bed occupancy
Majeed MU, et al.
BMC Health Services Research, 2012, 12:410

Read more here.