Higher Quality Dementia Care

"In a programme of 3 linked studies, we investigated the impact of the QOF [quality and outcomes] dementia review on the quality of care received by those with dementia, focusing particularly on the interface between primary and secondary care."

Higher Quality Dementia Care: Policy & Research Briefing
P Kasteridis, A Mason, M Goddard, R Jacobs, R Santos
Centre for Health Economics
February 2016

Read more here.

Implementing the NICE guideline on social care of older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions

"The guideline covers how health and social care for older people with multiple long-term conditions should be planned and delivered. It addresses how those responsible for commissioning, managing and providing health and social care should work together to deliver safe, high-quality services."

Costing statement:Implementing the NICE guideline on social care of older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions (NG22)
NICE
November 2015

Read more here.

Using league tables to reduce missed dose medication errors on mental healthcare of older people wards

"By greatly reducing the risk of patients experiencing adverse drug events as a result of missed doses, this project has given rise to a potential cost-saving of around £34,000 per year across the wards studied. "

Using league tables to reduce missed dose medication errors on mental healthcare of older people wards
A Cottney
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u204237.w3567

Read more here.

Safer Wards: reducing violence on older people's mental health wards

"Through the Safer Wards project we aimed to reduce the number of incidents of physical violence on older people’s mental health wards."

Safer Wards: reducing violence on older people's mental health wards
J Brown et al.
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u207447.w2977

Read more here.

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.

Improving quality of life for people with dementia and their carers through impact investment

"The development of products and services to tackle dementia needs more proactive support from government, policymakers, charities and healthcare professionals"

Remember me: Improving quality of life for people with dementia and their carers through impact investment 
E Ní Ógáin, K Mountain

Nesta
March 2015

Read more here.

The cost of hospital-acquired complications for older people with and without dementia

"Increased length of stay and high rates of adverse clinical events in hospitalised patients with dementia is stimulating interest and debate about which costs may be associated and potentially avoided within this population."

The cost of hospital-acquired complications for older people with and without dementia; a retrospective cohort study

K Bail, J Goss, B Draper, H Berry, R Karmel, D Gibson
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:91  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0743-1

Read more here.

Ceiling of care decisions at an older person's mental health unit

"The issue was that decisions around ceilings of care for patients were often not discussed or at least recorded in the electronic notes and as a result when reviewing deteriorating patients out of hours trainees would find themselves without any guidance on the treating medics opinion on what was in the best interests of the patient."

Ceiling of care decisions at an older person's mental health unit in Gloucestershire
P Slack, A Rose
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u207618.w3050

Read more here.

Maximising Older People's use of Personal Budgets

"The overarching aim of the programme was to ‘improve social care outcomes for older people using personal budgets’. Within this overall aim, the programme had a number of specific objectives based on the development of an ‘innovative volunteer-delivery model’"

Maximising Older People's use of Personal Budgets (MOPPU): Project Evaluation Report
A Ellis Paine, R Taylor, C Needham, R Littlechild, H Buckingham
Age UK
October 2014

Read more here.

Improving early recognition of delirium using SQiD

"Following awareness raising activities, the awareness and use of SQiD increased from 12.5% to 83% and 20% respectively. Incorporating the SQiD question into the care round form delivered 100% awareness and 50% use during testing."

Improving early recognition of delirium using SQiD (Single Question to identify Delirium): a hospital based quality improvement project
E McCleary, P Cumming
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u206598.w2653

Read more here.

Commission on hospital care for frail older people

"There is a myth that providing more and better care for frail older people in the community, increasing integration between health and social care services and pooling health and social care budgets will lead to significant, cashable financial savings in the acute hospital sector and across health economies. The commission found no evidence that these assumptions are true."

Commission on hospital care for frail older people: main report
Health Service Journal, Serco
November 2014

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.

Quality care outcomes following transitional care interventions for older people from hospital to home

"Gaps in the evidence base were apparent in the quality domains of timeliness, equity, efficiencies for community providers, effectiveness/symptom management, and domains of person and family centred care. Further research that involves the person and their family/caregiver in transitional care interventions is needed."

Quality care outcomes following transitional care interventions for older people from hospital to home: a systematic review
J Allen, AM Hutchinson, R Brown, PM Livingston
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:346

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.

Transitions at the end of life for older adults

"Development of a shared understanding of professional and carer roles in end-of-life transitions may be one of the most effective ways of improving patients’ experiences."

Transitions at the end of life for older adults – patient, carer and professional perspectives: a mixed-methods study
B Hanratty, E Lowson, G Grande, S Payne, J Addington-Hall, N Valtorta1, J Seymour
Health Services Delivery Research, 2014; 2(17)

Read more here.

Transforming primary care

"By freeing up time and redirecting several hundred million pounds of public funding for hard pressed family doctors as well as nurses and other community health staff, the aim is to bring about broad-based improvement in care for our highest need patients."

Transforming primary care: safe, proactive, personalised care for those who need it most
Department of Health, NHS England
April 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.