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Government meets target for older people two years ahead of schedule
Mar 4, 2005, 20:28, Reviewed by: Dr.
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"The Government wants older people to live as independently as possible and have great quality of life. That means keeping older people fit and healthy and out of hospital"
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By Department of Health,
Health Minister Stephen Ladyman today announced funding of �60m for councils to develop innovative ways to help older people avoid emergency hospital visits and to live independently longer.
The �60m Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPP) grant aims to encourage councils in England with their NHS, local government, voluntary and community sector partners to devise innovative approaches to establishing sustainable arrangements for supporting older people in active and healthy living.
Launching the new scheme today, Community Minister Stephen Ladyman said:
"The Government wants older people to live as independently as possible and have great quality of life. That means keeping older people fit and healthy and out of hospital.
"Nearly 50% of all hospital admissions are of older people and many of these are avoidable. Working proactively to give care in a community setting enables older people to maintain their independence and quality of life, and reduces the need for hospital or high intensity care.
"The POPP project is about better meeting the needs of all older people, including those traditionally hard-to-reach groups."
Professor Ian Philp, the National Director for Older People�s Health said: "Social Services have already demonstrated their effectiveness in improving community services for older people and in doing so reducing pressure on acute hospital beds.
"To date, the main emphasis has been on reducing delayed discharge from hospital. The emphasis of the POPP project will be on reducing need for admission to hospitals in the first instance through services which enhance the independence, health, and well-being of older people living at home."
Successful projects will reduce reliance on hospitals and other institutions by introducing new approaches which emphasize healthy and independent living, including supporting older people in their own homes, active rehabilitation and health promotion such as falls prevention. They will also take account of the ideas contained in the Green Paper on Adult Social Care, due to be published shortly.
The Minister launched POPP today at Letchworth PCT in Hertfordshire which hosts a Handypersons scheme. This scheme allows vulnerable people living at home to call on someone to help with every day problems such as mending taps, fitting smoke alarms and changing bulbs. Not being able to perform these tasks can lead to loss of confidence and ability to live independently.
The scheme was established in March 2004 as part of a local project to reduce hospital admissions of older people. 
- Older People Projects (POPP) grant
http://www.dh.gov.uk
1. Further information about POPP and a prospectus of guidance to support applicants is available from www.dh.gov.uk.
2. Successful projects will be notified in September 2005.
3. The Partnerships for Older People Projects Grant will provide �60m ring-fenced funding, based on the Older People�s FSS formula to council-based partnerships over the years 2006/7 and 2007/8. Awards will go to a cross section of council-based partnerships, across a wide geographical spread.
4. Older people in the UK use three and a half times the amount of hospital care as those aged under 65, and almost two thirds of general and acute hospital beds are in use by people over 65.
5. Falls are the leading cause of mortality due to injury in older people aged over 75 in the UK
6. The NSF for Older People was published on 27th March 2001. It sets national standards to improve services for older people, whether they are at home, in residential care or in hospital. Although a ten-year strategic plan, the NSF sets a series of milestones for the NHS and social services to meet up to 2005.
7. Projects already underway aimed at these outcomes include:
* HomeBridge, a joint initiative between Ashford Borough Council, Kent CC Social Services, Ashford PCT and Age Concern Ashford. This service provides recuperative care for older people and is a stepping-stone between hospital and home or between residential care and living independently. It is a purpose built unit of seven well equipped bungalows, fitted with a range of alarm call and falls detection systems. It will also pilot the latest telehealth technology for people with long term conditions. Support is available from the manager, a support worker, community assessment and rehabilitation team, Occupational Therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services.
8. Westminster. Westminster PCT, Social and Community Services and the acute hospital trust are working together to reduce unscheduled hospital admissions by focusing on three areas:
* Having a single point of access for services and a �Senior Passport� to share information between all health partners
* Long term care management with community nurses and care management staff providing support together
* Maximising older people�s independence with enhanced intermediate care services including residential respite, intensive home support, falls prevention, stroke services and community rehabilitation.
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