Buying Time I: a prospective, controlled trial of a joint health/social care residential rehabilitation unit for older people on discharge from hospital

The study's objective was to determine the effectiveness of a joint NHS/Social Services rehabilitation unit (a form of intermediate care) for older people on discharge from community hospital, compared with 'usual' community services. This was a controlled clinical trial in a practice setting. The intervention was 6 weeks in a rehabilitation unit where individuals worked with care/rehabilitation assistants and occupational therapists to regain independence. Controls went home with the health/social care services they would ordinarily receive. Participants were from two matched geographical areas in Devon: one with a rehabilitation unit, one without. Recruitment was from January 1999 to October 2001 in 10 community hospitals. Study eligibility was assessed using the unit's inclusion/exclusion criteria: 55 years or older and 'likely to benefit from a short-term rehabilitation programme' ('potential to improve', 'realistic and achievable goals' and 'motivation to participate'). Ninety-four people were recruited to the intervention and 112 to the control. The mean (standard deviation) age was 81.8 (8.0) years. The main outcome measure was prevention of institutionalisation assessed by the number of days from baseline interview to admission to residential/nursing care or death ('survival-at-home time'). Secondary outcome measures were time to hospital re-admission over 12 months, quality of life and coping ability. There were no significant differences between the groups on any outcome measure. Adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for 'survival-at-home time' was 1.13 (0.70-1.84), and 0.84 (0.53-1.33) for 'time to hospital re-admission'. However, attending the unit was associated with earlier hospital discharge. Median (interquartile range) days in hospital for the intervention graph was 27 (20, 40), and for the control graph was 35 (22, 47) (U = 4234, P = 0.029). These findings suggest a stay in a rehabilitation unit is no more effective than 'usual' care at diverting older people from hospital/long-term care. Alternative service configurations may be as effective, having implications for tailoring services more specifically to individual need and/or user preferences. However, the unit did appear to facilitate earlier discharges from community hospital.     

A prospective baseline study of frail older people before the introduction of an intermediate care service

This paper describes the first part of a two-stage research project designed to investigate the clinical and service outcomes of a comprehensive intermediate care service. It is a baseline study of patients presenting to two elderly care departments as emergencies with the clinical syndromes of falls, incontinence, confusion or poor mobility before the introduction of a city-wide intermediate care service. The outcome measures were: mortality; disability (Barthel Index, BI); social activities (Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living); service use; and carer distress (General Health Questionnaire -28). These were measured at 3, 6 and 12 months after recruitment. Eight hundred and twenty-three patients were recruited (median age = 84 years; proportion of women = 70%; proportion with cognitive impairment = 45%; median BI score = 15). There was a high mortality rate (36%), evidence for incomplete recovery, a gradual decline in independence over 12 months and a high degree of carer stress. There was little use of rehabilitation services (< 5%), about 25% required readmission to hospital by each assessment point and there was a gradual increase in institutional care admissions. These findings support a needs-based argument for a more comprehensive community service for frail older people.     

Exploring the mealtime experience in residential care settings for older people: an observational study

Improving the mealtime experience in residential care can be a major facilitator in improving care, well‐being and QoL. Evidence suggests that, despite guidance on the subject of food, nutrition and hydration, there are still concerns. Although there is a range of methods to research and assess the quality of food provision, there is a challenge in capturing the experiences of those residents who are unable or unwilling to describe their feelings and experiences because of frailty, impaired communication or other vulnerability. The aim of this exploratory study was to capture and describe individual residents’ mealtime experience. In spring 2011, a small‐scale, observational study was carried out in seven dining settings in four residential care homes in Manchester. An adapted dementia care mapping tool was used alongside field notes. Observations showed two major differences in the way the mealtimes were organised: ‘pre‐plated’ and ‘family‐style’ (where either bowls of food are placed in the centre of the table or food is served directly from a hotplate by a chef). These two styles of service are discussed in relation to the emerging themes of ‘task versus resident‐centred mealtimes’, ‘fostering resident independence’ and ‘levels of interaction’. Although improving mealtimes alone is not enough to improve quality of life in care homes, findings showed that relatively small changes to mealtime delivery can potentially have an impact on resident well‐being in these homes. Observation is a useful method of engaging residents in care settings for older people who may not otherwise be able to take part in research.     

The costs of care: An ethnography of care work in residential homes for older people

The cost of social care, the work conditions experienced by care workers and the quality of care provided by residential homes for older people are all linked, yet we know very little about how this relationship works in practice. Drawing upon an ethnography of two differently priced residential care homes for older people in Southern England, I examine the implications of different financial regimes for care-giving practices. I show how the scheduling and allocation of resources—conveyed, for example, in formal routines and staffing levels—structure the care workers’ time, tasks and activities in each setting. This acts to symbolically demarcate what, or who, is valued. I argue that the availability of resources facilitates and impedes the symbolic culture of care work, shapes care workers’ ability to afford dignity to the individuals in their care and affects how care workers experience, and relate to, their labour. I conclude by discussing how current practices of funding and pricing social care have effects seeping beyond the practical and measurable, and into the realm of the symbolic.     

Satisfaction with the care-managed support of older people: an empirical analysis

Modernising Social Services requires the use of satisfaction surveys in monitoring some key aspects of quality of provision, including user/carer perceptions and experiences of services and involvement of users/carers in assessment and review. Using data from the study Evaluating Community Care for Elderly People (ECCEP), of physically and/or mentally frail community-based older people in England and Wales receiving community care services, this investigation examines three crucial aspects of user satisfaction. The measures were: initial satisfaction with the assessment process and help provided by social services; also two measures obtained from a six month follow-up, namely satisfaction with service levels and with the experience of social services. Examination of overall satisfaction levels provided only a partial picture, due to their association with both user characteristics and the effect of life satisfaction. This association was therefore examined firstly by considering each characteristic separately and secondly by modelling the presence of each satisfaction measure in terms of those characteristics having a significant effect, using logistic regression. Arthritis, loneliness, problems keeping warm and an inner city location were all characteristics associated with reduced satisfaction, while most resource inputs, including social work involvement, were positively related to satisfaction. General life satisfaction was also associated with increased satisfaction levels. The role of life satisfaction as a predictor was further investigated through examining its dependence on case characteristics. While older users were more frequently satisfied with life, those with greater functional impairment and below average self-perceived health reported lower life satisfaction. Findings from this study highlight the complexity of interpreting satisfaction data and suggest that those responsible for designing and conducting surveys need to be aware of both the potential and pitfalls associated with using them as a means of assessing the quality of social services for older people.     

How older people cope with frailty within the context of transition care in Australia: implications for improving service delivery

Transition care is increasingly common for older people, yet little is known about the subjective experience of the transition care ‘journey’ from the perspective of clients themselves. This study examines how older people cope with frailty within the context of a dedicated transition care programme and discusses implications for improving service delivery. Qualitative in‐depth interviews were carried out during 2011 in the homes of 20 older people who had recently been discharged from a transition care programme operating in Adelaide, South Australia (average age 80 years, 65% female). Thematic analysis identified three key themes: ‘a new definition of recovery’, ‘complexities of control’ and ‘the disempowering system’. Despite describing many positive aspects of the programme, including meeting personal milestones and a renewed sense of independence, participants recognised that they were unlikely to regain their previous level of functioning. For some, this was exacerbated by lacking control over the transition care process while adapting to their new level of frailty. Overall, this research highlighted that benefits associated with transition care can be undermined by fragmentation in service delivery, loss of control and uncertainties around future support.     

Improving communication between hospitals and care homes: the development of a daily living plan for older people

The present study describes a practice development project that produced a user-led daily living plan (DLP), which was developed in partnership with older people, and staff from health and social care settings. The DLP was designed to facilitate communication of the daily living preferences of older people, ensuring that continuity of care and support could be maintained and that their future care can be planned on an individualised basis when they move from hospital to a care home. In the process of developing and implementing the DLP, more effective person-centred communication between hospitals and care homes was achieved, and some of the hospital staff's ideas about care homes changed.     

Developing inclusive residential care for older lesbian,gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people: An evaluation of the Care Home Challenge action research project

There have been substantial achievements in legislative and human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older people and their visibility in health and social care has equally increased. These appear to have surpassed the ability of care services to meet their needs given documented concerns about the accessibility, inclusiveness and safety of care services particularly institutionalised care. This requires systemic change not easy to operationalise. This paper describes an action research initiative where six care homes belonging to a national care provider, collaborated to assess and develop their services with the support of local LGBT “Community Advisors” and academic partners. Framed within Rogers’ (2003) change management framework and combined with a participatory leadership approach, a programme of intervention was implemented comprising structured activities around seven key areas thought to promote LGBT inclusion. A formal evaluation was conducted involving 35 pre‐ and post‐intervention qualitative interviews with 18 people (community advisors; care home managers and senior managers). The findings are presented across three key themes (1) starting points on the journey; (2) challenges encountered along the journey (organisational and interpersonal); and (3) making change happen; opportunities, initiatives and gains. We make recommendations on the value of a programme approach for achieving tangible outcomes that demonstrate increased inclusion for older LGBT people living in long‐term care settings.     

Exploring the cost-effectiveness of advance care planning (by taking a family carer perspective): Findings of an economic modelling study

Advance care planning is considered an important part of high-quality end-of-life care. Its cost-effectiveness is currently unknown. In this study, we explore the cost-effectiveness of a strategy, in which advance care planning is offered systematically to older people at the end-of-life compared with standard care. We conducted decision-analytic modelling. The perspective was health and social care and the time horizon was 1 year. Outcomes included were quality-adjusted life years as they referred to the surviving carers. Data sources included published studies, national statistics and expert views. Average total cost in the advance care planning versus standard care group was £3,739 versus £3,069. The quality-adjusted life year gain to carers was 0.03 for the intervention in comparison with the standard care group. Based on carer's health-related quality-of-life, the average cost per quality-adjusted life year was £18,965. The probability that the intervention was cost-effective was 55% (70%) at a cost per quality-adjusted life year threshold of £20,000 (£30,000). Conducting cost-effectiveness analysis for advance care planning is challenging due to uncertainties in practice and research, such as a lack of agreement on how advance care planning should be provided and by whom (which influences its costs), and about relevant beneficiary groups (which influences its outcomes). However, even when assuming relatively high costs for the delivery of advance care planning and only one beneficiary group, namely, family carers, our analysis showed that advance care planning was probably cost-effective.     

Why are some care homes better than others? An empirical study of the factors associated with quality of care for older people in residential homes in Surrey,England

This paper reports an empirical study that investigated associations between the quality of care received by older people in residential settings and features of the care homes in which they live. Data were gathered from the first announced inspection reports (2002–2003) of all 258 care homes for older people in one county of England (Surrey). The number of inspected standards failed in each home was used as the main indicator of quality of care. Independent variables (for each home) were: size, type, specialist registration, on‐site nursing, ownership, year registered, location, maximum fee, vacancies, resident dependency, whether the home took publicly funded residents, care staff qualifications and managerial quality. Quality of care was modelled using a Poisson count maximum likelihood method based on 245 (91%) of the inspected homes for which relevant data were available. The results showed that quality of care (as defined by failures on national standards) was statistically associated with features of care homes and their residents. A higher probability of failing a standard was significantly associated with being a home that: was a for‐profit small business (adjusted risk ratio (RR) = 1.17); was registered before 2000 (adj. RR = 1.22), accommodated publicly funded residents (adj. RR = 1.12); was registered to provide nursing care (adj. RR = 1.12). Fewer failures were associated with homes that were corporate for‐profit (adj. RR = 0.82); held a specialist registration (adj. RR = 0.91); charged higher maximum fees (adj. RR = 0.98 per 100 pound sterling unit). A secondary analysis revealed a stronger model: higher scores on managerial standards correlated with fewer failures on other standards (r = 0.65, P < 0.001). The results of this study may help inform future policy. They are discussed in the context of alternative approaches to measuring quality of residential care, and in terms of their generalisability.     

Doing involvement: A qualitative study exploring the ‘work’ of involvement enacted by older people and their carers during transition from hospital to home

ContextBeing involved in one''s care is prioritised within UK healthcare policy to improve care quality and safety. However, research suggests that many older people struggle with this.DesignWe present focused ethnographic research exploring older peoples'' involvement in healthcare from hospital to home.ResultsWe propose that being involved in care is a dynamic form of labour, which we call ‘involvement work’ (IW). In hospital, many patients ‘entrust’ IW to others; indeed, when desired, maintaining control, or being actively involved, was challenging. Patient and professionals'' expectations, alongside hospital processes, promoted delegation; staff frequently did IW on patients'' behalf. Many people wanted to resume IW postdischarge, but struggled because they were out of practice.DiscussionPreference and capacity for involvement was dynamic, fluctuating over time, according to context and resource accessibility. The challenges of resuming IW were frequently underestimated by patients and care providers, increasing dependence on others post‐discharge and negatively affecting peoples'' sense and experience of (in)dependence.ConclusionsA balance needs to be struck between respecting peoples'' desire/capacity for non‐involvement in hospital while recognising that ‘delegating’ IW can be detrimental. Increasing involvement will require patient and staff roles to be reframed, though this must be done acknowledging the limits of patient desire, capability,and resources. Hospital work should be (re)organised to maximise involvement where possible and desired.Patient/Public ContributionOur Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Panel contributed to research design, especially developing interview guides and patient‐facing documentation. Patients were key participants within the study; it is their experiences represented.     

Health risk appraisal for older people in general practice using an expert system: a pilot study

The prevention of disability in later life is a major challenge facing industrialised societies. Primary care practitioners are well positioned to maintain and promote health in older people, but the British experience of population-wide preventive interventions has been disappointing. Health risk appraisal (HRA), an emergent information-technology-based approach from the USA, has the potential for fulfilling some of the objectives of the National Service Framework for Older People. Information technology and expert systems allow the perspectives of older people on their health and health risk behaviours to be collated, analysed and converted into tailored health promotion advice without adding to the workload of primary care practitioners. The present paper describes a preliminary study of the portability of HRA to British settings. Cultural adaptation and feasibility testing of a comprehensive health risk assessment questionnaire was carried out in a single group practice with 12,500 patients, in which 58% of the registered population aged 65 years and over participated in the study. Eight out of 10 respondents at all ages found the questionnaire easy or very easy to understand and complete, although more than one-third had or would have liked assistance. More than half felt that the length of the questionnaire was about right, and one respondent in 10 disliked some questions. Of those who completed the questionnaire and received tailored, written health promotion advice, 39% provided feedback on this with comments that can be used for increasing the acceptability of tailored advice. These findings have informed a wider exploratory study in general practice.     

Rapid decrease in length of stay in institutional care for older people in Sweden between 2006 and 2012: results from a population‐based study

There is limited knowledge about older people's length of stay (time until death) in institutional care and how it has changed over time. The aim of this study was to analyse changes in the length of stay for older people in institutional care between 2006 and 2012. All persons 65+ living in Kungsholmen (an urban area of Stockholm), who moved to an institution between 2006 and 2012, were included (N = 1103). The data source was the care system part of a longitudinal database, the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care. The average length of stay was analysed using Laplace regression for the 10th to the 50th percentile for the years 2006–2012. The regressions showed that in 2006, it took an average of 764 days before 50% of those who had moved into institutional care had died. The corresponding figure for 2012 was 595 days, which amounts to a 22.1% decrease over the period studied (P = 0.078). For the lower percentiles, the decrease was even more rapid, for example for the 30th percentile, the length of stay reduced from 335 days in 2006 to 119 days in 2012, a decrease of 64.3% (P < 0.001). The most rapid increase was found in the proportion that moved to an institution and died within a short time period. In 2006, the first 10% had on average died after 85 days, in 2012 after only 8 days; a decrease in the length of stay of 90.5% (P = 0.002). In general, there was a significant decrease in the length of stay in institutional care between 2006 and 2012. The most dramatic change over the period studied was an increase in the proportion of people who moved into an institution and died shortly afterwards.     

Food provision for older people receiving home care from the perspectives of home‐care workers

Malnutrition is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among older people. Attention has focused on the inadequacies of food provision in institutions, yet the majority suffering from malnutrition live in the community. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to food provision for older people receiving home care. It was a qualitative exploratory study using semi‐structured interviews with nine home‐care workers in June 2013 employed by independent agencies in a large city in northern England. Data were analysed thematically, based on the principles of grounded theory. Findings showed that significant time pressures limited home‐care workers in their ability to socially engage with service users at mealtimes, or provide them with anything other than ready meals. Enabling choice was considered more important than providing a healthy diet, but choice was limited by food availability and reliance on families for shopping. Despite their knowledge of service users and their central role in providing food, home‐care workers received little nutritional training and were not involved by healthcare professionals in the management of malnutrition. Despite the rhetoric of individual choice and importance of social engagement and nutrition for health and well‐being, nutritional care has been significantly compromised by cuts to social care budgets. The potential role for home‐care workers in promoting good nutrition in older people is undervalued and undermined by the lack of recognition, training and time dedicated to food‐related care. This has led to a situation whereby good quality food and enjoyable mealtimes are denied to many older people on the basis that they are unaffordable luxuries rather than an integral component of fundamental care.     

Reducing delayed transfer of care in older people: A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators to shorter hospital stays

IntroductionGrowing numbers of older patients occupy hospital beds despite being ‘medically fit’ for discharge. These Delayed Transfers of Care amplify inefficiencies in care and can cause harm. Delayed transfer because of family or patient choice is common; yet, research on patient and family perspectives is scarce. To identify barriers to, and facilitators of, shorter hospital stays, we sought to understand older people''s and caregivers'' thoughts and feelings about the benefits and harms of being in hospital and the decisions made at discharge.MethodsA multimethod qualitative study was carried out. Content analysis was carried out of older people''s experiences of health or care services submitted to the Care Opinion online website, followed by telephone and video interviews with older people and family members of older people experiencing a hospital stay in the previous 12 months.ResultsOnline accounts provide insight into how care was organized for older people in the hospital, including deficiencies in care organization, the discharge process and communication, as well as how care was experienced by older people and family members. Interview‐generated themes included shared meanings of hospitalization and discharge experiences and the context of discharge decisions including failure in communication systems, unwarranted variation and lack of confidence in care and lack of preparation for ongoing care.ConclusionPoor quality and availability of information, and poor communication, inhibit effective transfer of care. Communication is fundamental to patient‐centred care and even more important in discharge models characterized by limited assessments and quicker discharge. Interventions at the service level and targeted patient information about what to expect in discharge assessments and after discharge could help to address poor communication and support for improving discharge of older people from hospital.Patient or Public ContributionThe Frailty Oversight Group, a small group of older people providing oversight of the Community Aging Research 75+ study, provided feedback on the research topic and level of interest, the draft data collection tools and the feasibility of collecting data with older people during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The group also reviewed preliminary findings and provided feedback on our interpretation.     

Post‐discharge medicines management: the experiences,perceptions and roles of older people and their family carers

BackgroundMultiple changes are made to older patients’ medicines during hospital admission, which can sometimes cause confusion and anxiety. This results in problems with post‐discharge medicines management, for example medicines taken incorrectly, which can lead to harm, hospital readmission and reduced quality of life.AimTo explore the experiences of older patients and their family carers as they enacted post‐discharge medicines management.DesignSemi‐structured interviews took place in participants’ homes, approximately two weeks after hospital discharge. Data analysis used the Framework method.Setting and participantsRecruitment took place during admission to one of two large teaching hospitals in North England. Twenty‐seven participants aged 75 plus who lived with long‐term conditions and polypharmacy, and nine family carers, were interviewed.FindingsThree core themes emerged: impact of the transition, safety strategies and medicines management role. Conversations between participants and health‐care professionals about medicines changes often lacked detail, which disrupted some participants’ knowledge and medicines management capabilities. Participants used multiple strategies to support post‐discharge medicines management, such as creating administration checklists, seeking advice or supporting primary care through prompts to ensure medicines were supplied on time. The level to which they engaged with these activities varied.Discussion and conclusionParticipants experienced gaps in their post‐discharge medicines management, which they had to bridge through implementing their own strategies or by enlisting support from others. Areas for improvement were identified, mainly through better communication about medicines changes and wider involvement of patients and family carers in their medicines‐related care during the hospital‐to‐home transition.     

Facilitators and inhibitors of transition for older people who have relocated to a long‐term care facility: A systematic review

Moving into a long‐term care facility to live permanently is a significant life event for older people. Care facilities need to support older people to make a healthy transition following relocation. To help achieve this, we need to understand what facilitates and inhibits the transition process from the perspective of older people, their families, and care facility staff. Our review generated new knowledge to inform this understanding. We addressed the question: what factors facilitate and inhibit transition for older people who have relocated to a long‐term care facility? Five electronic databases, PsychINFO, British Nursing Index, CINAHL, MEDLINE and Web of Science were searched for the period January 1990 to October 2017. Grey literature searches were conducted using Google Scholar, and Social Science Research Network. Data were extracted for individual studies and a narrative synthesis was conducted informed by Meleis's Theory of Transition. Thirty‐four studies (25 qualitative, 7 quantitative and 2 mixed methods) met the inclusion criteria. Data synthesis identified that transition following relocation was examined using a variety of terms, timelines and study designs. Potential personal and community focused facilitators and inhibitors mapped to four themes: resilience of the older person, interpersonal connections and relationships, this is my new home, and the care facility as an organisation. These findings can inform the development of interventions for these target areas. They highlight also that further research is warranted to understand the organisational culture of long‐term care facilities, how this influences transition, and how it might be shaped to create and sustain a caring culture for older people.