Good practice outside the care homes

• Published in: Mental Health and Care Homes
• Main Authors: Goodman, Claire, Davies, Sue L.
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 01.05.2011
• ISBN: 9780199593637; 0199593639
• DOI: 10.1093/med/9780199593637.003.0023

How health services work with care homes and provide support to residents lies at the heart of ‘good healthcare’ for this frail population. This chapter provides an overview of how healthcare services can, and do, work with care homes and what models of integrated working achieve positive outcomes. Research demonstrates a long history of erratic and inequitable approaches to healthcare delivery by both primary and secondary healthcare agencies and practitioners. Although there are examples of innovation and good practice, these tend to be timelimited, discretionary, and locally determined; often they depend on an individual practitioner’s interest. The majority of interventions are reactive, problem specific, narrowly defined, and do not consider the priorities of the older person or how the culture of the home should influence approaches to care. There is an overarching need to involve older residents in healthcare decisionmaking and to develop strategies that allow care homes to be equal partners in setting priorities. Only then can healthcare providers work with them effectively to improve the wellbeing and health of residents, however complex the needs.