Reshaping Care for Older People in Argyll and Bute

Innovative and groundbreaking work is happening across Argyll and Bute to develop and deliver services that will enable older people to live healthily and independently within their own communities for as long as possible. The focus of this work is on preventing the difficulties and illnesses that cause people to be admitted to hospitals or other care settings for long periods of time. This will help to ensure that there is appropriate care when necessary in a hospital or another care facility. The work is looking at how people who need care can continue to live full and positive lives, supported within their own communities, whilst being less dependent on the formal care system. . Pat Tyrrell, Lead Nurse for Argyll & Bute Community Health Partnership, said: “The Scottish Government has allocated money into a Change Fund to be used to deliver the vision for older people's services. This is being used by NHS Highland, Argyll and Bute Council, the Independent providers, and Voluntary and Community organisations (often referred to as the Third sector) to work together to make the best use of the resources available to develop the services needed to support this new vision. This partnership approach was recognised at the Scottish Care awards in May this year when Argyll and Bute Reshaping Care for Older People Programme Board received the Best Partnership Award. “We are also working with communities across Argyll and Bute to look at how we can support them to develop approaches and services that will meet local needs. This is a challenging programme of work and there are a number of local projects which highlight what has been achieved so far.” Anne Austin, Service Manager for Community Care Resources at Argyll and Bute Council, continued: “The development of Dementia Care Teams is a good example one of these local projects in Argyll and Bute. We have health and social care professionals working closely with local communities and existing hospital and community services. These local teams demonstrate partnership working between the NHS, the Council and Alzheimer Scotland and recently won an award for the most innovative partnership at the Scottish Dementia Awards. Their work is already demonstrating benefits to individuals, carers and families. “Valuable work around Falls Prevention is also taking place across Argyll and Bute. Physiotherapy colleagues in partnership with Third and Independent sector organisations have contributed to the development of a Falls Prevention resource that will enhance the knowledge of older people and their carers/relatives/friends through training and assisted exercise programmes. “We also have additional outreach services provided through Carers Centres in each locality and there is strong evidence of joined up working between the new Carers Outreach workers, the Argyll Voluntary Action workers and the Dementia Care Teams. This has already led to better support for Carers across Argyll and Bute and has allowed us to reach people in some of the islands where there was no service previously.”