'The billion dollar question': embedding prevention in older people's services: 10 'high impact' changes
Author(s)
ALLEN Kerry, GLASBY Jon
Publisher(s):
University of Birmingham. Health Services Management Centre
Publication year:
2010
There is a need to invest more fully and strategically in both prevention and rehabilitation for older people, to help them stay healthier, more independent and more socially included for longer and to recover these capacities as fully as possible when they do require hospital treatment. While there is growing recognition that only a more preventative agenda will be sufficient to respond to current and future pressures, there is much less clarity about how to do this in practice. This paper seeks to identify the most promising ‘10 high impact changes’ with regards to prevention in older people’s services. The paper draws on two main sources. The first is an EU review of prevention and long-term care in older people’s services across 14 European counties known as Interlinks. The second key source is a recent review of the social and economic benefits of adult social care, commissioned by the Department of Health and Downing Street. This paper identifies and reviews the following 10 prevention strategies: promoting healthy lifestyles; vaccination; screening; falls prevention; housing adaptations and practical support; telecare and technology; intermediate care; reablement; partnership working; and personalisation.
