Policy

Delivering care closer to home: Department of Health resource

The Department of Health has published a resource for commissioners and others with an interest in shifting care closer to home. This includes examples of positive practice (several relating to older people), an explanation of how current policy initiatives can be used to support changes, and a list of new resources to assist both commissioners and providers.

Delivering care closer to home: meeting the challenge.


Dignity: Royal College of Nursing campaign

The Royal College of Nursing has launched a dignity campaign to try to ensure that all members of the nursing workforce prioritise dignity, that nurses have the resources they need to achieve this and are equipped to influence changes to achieve dignity in the care they deliver.

Dignity at the heart of everything we do. Online information.
Tel: 020 7409 3333 (Royal College of Nursing)


ELSA: evidence on health issues

The third wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing includes four chapters on health issues.

Chapter 3 explored physical functioning, finding that:

• lower levels of personal wealth and higher levels of neighbourhood deprivation were both associated with increased risks of developing age-related impairments over a four-year period: and
• poorer personal relationships with family members were associated with the onset of difficulties with mobility.
  
  

Chapter 6 focused on resilience – people’s ability to resist adversity and flourish under it. It found that:

• resilience existed irrespective of the way it was measured;
• resilient older people were more satisfied with their lives and had a better quality of life than non-resilient older people; and
• resilient older people expected to live longer than their non-resilient counterparts.
  
  

Chapter 7 explored how waist and body mass index (BMI) measurements related to health. It found that being underweight was associated with increased risk of death in men, and increased weight was associated with:

• severe back pain, shortness of breath, and arthritis;
• slower walking speed; and 
• low quality-of-life scores and depression.
  
  

Chapter 8 examined mortality and healthy life expectancy. It found that excess deaths in winter months were not clearly patterned by age, cohabiting status, central heating, quality of accommodation or socio-economic position. Risk of death over the whole year was affected by:

• whether or not people lived with a partner; 
• level of qualifications, occupational class and wealth; and 
• level of physical activity, smoking history and level of alcohol consumption.

Living in the 21st century: older people in England. The 2006 English longitudinal study of ageing (Wave 3).
Tel: 020 7291 4800 (Institute for Fiscal Studies)


End-of-life care: Department of Health strategy

The Department of Health has published the first end-of-life care strategy for all adults in England. It highlights the fact that almost two-thirds of people who die are aged 75 and over and that many do not die as they would have wished. The strategy calls for action to improve identification of people coming to the end of life: care planning; coordination of care; quality of care in all settings; management of the last days of life; care after death; and support for carers before and after death.

End of Life Care Strategy: promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life.
Tel: 0300 123 1002 (Department of Health publications)


Experiences of older people with depression: Age Concern report

Age Concern has launched a new campaign on older people and depression, ‘Down, but not out’. The campaign report, Undiagnosed, untreated, at risk, sets out the prevalence of depression among older people and highlights the fact that the vast majority do not get any support or treatment. It calls for action to encourage older people with depression to seek help, to receive the correct diagnosis when they do visit their GP, and to have access to all treatments known to be effective.

Down, but not out: campaign report. Undiagnosed, untreated, at risk.
Tel: 020 8765 7589 (Maggie Lucas, Policy Unit, Age Concern England)
 

Mental health and wellbeing: European pact

A high-level European Union conference on mental health and wellbeing held in June has launched a European Pact – a call for partnership action on mental health challenges and opportunities. The pact recognises the benefits of good mental health for all and the need to overcome the stigma associated with mental health. It suggests pooling knowledge from across the EU to develop recommendations for action in four priority areas, including mental health in older people and prevention of suicide and depression.

European pact for mental health and wellbeing.


National survey of local health services 2008: Healthcare Commission

The Healthcare Commission has published the results of the fifth national survey of patients’ experiences of primary care. Almost 75% of patients said they were ‘completely satisfied’ with care received from their GP practice. Access to services remained a problem for some, with wide geographical variations in the percentage of people able to see a GP within 48 hours. Reaching a GP practice by telephone was highlighted as difficult for many, and access to NHS dentistry continued to be a significant problem.

National Survey of local health services 2008.
Tel: 020 7448 9200 (Healthcare Commission)


Older people and wellbeing: IPPR report

This report, the first in a series on older people and wellbeing from the Institute for Public Policy Research, describes some of the key social trends in the UK and assesses how these may be impacting on older people and their wellbeing. The report finds that older people may be becoming decreasingly satisfied, lonelier and more depressed.

Older People and Wellbeing.
Tel: 020 7470 6123 (Institute for Public Policy Research)


Older people in prisons: Prison Reform Trust report

A report by the Prison Reform Trust highlights some unmet health, social and resettlement needs of older prisoners. Recommendations include:

• clarifying legal responsibilities for social care provision; 
• establishing schemes where trained prisoners provide supervised support for older people; 
• day-to-day prison activities that take account of the needs of older prisoners; 
• quick and effective responses to bullying; 
• cell allocation policies that take account of mobility; and 
• better help and advice when leaving prison.

Doing Time: the experiences and needs of older people in prison
Tel: 020 7251 5070 (Prison Reform Trust)


Reducing the burden of cancer: EU Health Council conclusions

The European Union Health Council has published a paper on reducing the burden of cancer. It invites member states to develop and implement comprehensive cancer strategies, to include prevention measures; the promotion of a healthy lifestyle; screening programmes; evidence-based treatment; and improving quality of life for patients. It also makes recommendations for the European Commission on sharing information and expertise, supporting collaboration in research and developing an EU action plan on cancer control.

Council conclusions on reducing the burden of cancer. 2876th Employment, Social Policy, health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting. 


Social and health services in the EU: DG for social affairs report

The European Union Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities has published a synthesis report of a study it commissioned on social and health services of general interest in the Union. It gives an overview of services in the EU, focuses on some key sectors of social services, discusses the evolution at EU level, and concludes with an evaluation of strategies to monitor and improve the quality of services.

Study on social and health services of general interest in the European Union. Final synthesis report. (click on link in 5th paragraph)


Stroke: NICE guidance

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on the acute management of stroke and transient ischaemic attacks (TIA). The advice covers:

• how healthcare professionals should recognise the symptoms of a stroke or TIA and make a diagnosis quickly; 
• when people should have a brain scan and other types of scan; 
• specialist care for people in the first two weeks after a stroke; and 
• drug treatments and surgery for people who have had a stroke.

Stroke: diagnosis and initial management of acute stroke and transient ischaemic attacks.
Tel: 0845 003 7783 (NICE)


Suicide prevention strategy: CSIP report 2007

The Care Services Improvement Partnership has published the 2007 annual report on the national suicide prevention strategy for England. The overall suicide rate has continued to fall and is at the lowest rate on record, but the rate of decline has slowed. The suicide rate for people aged 80 and over is higher than for the population as a whole, yet older people are not a priority group in the strategy. Improving mental health care for older people is a listed priority for 2008.

National suicide prevention strategy for England: annual report 2007.
Tel: 0113 254 5127 (Care Services Improvement Partnership) 


Third sector investment: Department of Health programme

The Department of Health has issued guidance on the investment programme that replaces the Section 64 General Scheme of Grants to voluntary organisations from 2009-10. Applications must be submitted before 8 September 2008. There is an application website and a number of supporting information documents and forms.

Third Sector Investment Programme: innovation excellence and service development fund 2009-10. Information pack.
Tel: 0113 254 5450 (Third Sector Funding, Department of Health)
 
 

 

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