Council welcomes Government’s support for older people leaving hospital
Warwickshire County Council has welcomed the Government’s announcement to make extra funds available for older people to receive support in the first all-important weeks following their discharge from hospital.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Portfolio Holder for Adult, Health and Community Services at Warwickshire County Council, said: “We welcome the Government’s support for the direction we have taken in Warwickshire and we will be working with our colleagues in the Primary Care Trust to build on the successful reablement programme which the County Council started at the end of last year.
“This service helps older people after a hospital stay or a time of crisis, and this announcement reaffirms our belief in this valuable service.
"Reablement is improving the lives of older people and saving health and social care budgets by preventing the need for long-term packages of care and hospital readmissions. We will be looking to build opportunities for intermediate and assessment care with our health partners following this news”.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced a £70m investment to help Primary Care Trusts to provide support packages to help people regain their independence after they return home from hospital.
The reablement scheme set up by Warwickshire County Council at the end of last year already provides up to six weeks of free support following a hospital stay or a time of crisis. The service works closely with people in their own homes to help regain confidence and maintain every day skills, from getting washed and dressed in the morning to making a cup of tea. With more than 60 per cent of those who use the service needing no further care of support when it has ended, the reablement scheme is also making significant savings.
John Bolton, Interim Director of Adult Services at Warwickshire County Council, said: “For too long people have been condemned to a future of dependency including some care home admissions and long-term packages of support, which could and should have been avoided. We want to offer a better solution for people who have been in hospital who are not quite ready to cope alone at home but have a chance of getting better with a longer period of recovery.”
A reablement report will be presented to Warwickshire County Council Cabinet Members on October 14 when they will hear more about the service’s progress, including anticipated savings of over £2 million.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe said: “This really is a win-win situation. Older people and their carers are achieving better outcomes and we are saving money at a time when we face severe budgetary pressures. Reablement allows us to help give people their lives back. People’s normal mobility, which is taken for granted, can be dashed in a minute by a critical moment and we aim to return it wherever we can.”
Full details of the government investment are yet to be disclosed but the new money will allow better integration between health and social care to deliver intermediate care. It is also believed that the money could be used for adapting homes or providing drop-in services.
John Bolton, Interim Director of Adult Services at Warwickshire County Council, added: “This new money will help us to build upon our investment into reablement and further develop services that both support people to live independently and prevent the need for costly and unnecessary care.”
Case Study: A Warwickshire customer’s perspective
Ninety four year old Charles* was identified as having complex needs due a number of falls which had limited his mobility. He was unable to dress and shower independently, and was initially unable to stand on his own.
He was referred to the reablement team who assessed how well he was coping at home and drew up a care plan. He was provided with a perching stool at first, but over time was able to stand independently, so no longer needed the supporting equipment. A specific aspect of his care identified that he was unable to put his socks on, but by providing him with an aid to do this he subsequently became fully independent with dressing.
Charles started his reablement support plan with four calls a day, and now is down to one call, with his reablement service due to end very shortly. Charles remains in good spirits and continues to live at home with his 90 year old wife Connie* who says the service has had a positive impact on both of their lives.
Connie says: “The service has been great. Charles is doing really well and can pretty much do everything himself now including showering which he couldn’t do before.”
*The names have been changed.