‘Independence First' is the name for a programme of services developed in East Sussex to help older people remain independent, under the national Partnerships for Older People Project (POPP).
As Baroness Andrews explained:
“The comfort of living in one's own home is something we can all understand. That's why these services are so valuable – they help older people to maintain an independent lifestyle, at home, in their local community.They also save money by reducing the number of emergency admissions into hospital or residential homes.
Independence First is a great example of what can be achieved when different agencies work together.”
Independence First, as part of the Department of Health's POPP initiative, has brought East Sussex County Council £3.2m over two years to spend on improving the health and wellbeing of older people. Services, run in partnership with the NHS, and local voluntary organisations, concentrate primarily on those people most at risk of going to hospital or into a care home.
Councillor Bill Bentley, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, added:
“Older people contribute enormously to our community. Volunteering for well-loved charities, getting involved with local democracy, helping out within the family… In fact, you name it – they do it! That's why I'm so supportive of services that help older people to live the lives they want. They deserve our full support.”
During its first year of operation, Independence First helped 2,850 people across its 12 different services.
Typically, the people that needed assistance had been faced with problems such as:
- a fall in the home
- the start of memory problems
- the need for urgent care at home to avoid an otherwise unnecessary stay in hospital.
Further information
Independence First services include:
- Navigator Service (which direct you to the help you need)
- Emergency care practitioners
- Falls prevention
- Intensive mental health support
- Medicines at Home Team
- Enhanced Response Team (which supports people after they've attended A&E)
- Hospital Duty and Assessment Team
- Rapid Response Team
- Bathing advice and information services.
Three examples of Independence First services in action:
- Falls are the leading cause of mortality in the UK for those aged 75 and over. In East Sussex there are around 1,000 hip fractures a year and 80 people attend A&E by ambulance each week following a fall. Under the Independence First programme, a Falls Preventation Team (including a nurse, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, and rehabilitation assistant) was set up in Hastings and Rother. The service visits people and considers their home environment to help prevent falls, and provide information and help with exercise.
- 'Medicines At Home' is an award-winning service which enables people to receive a visit from a pharmacist. It's a useful chance for older people to discuss what medicines they are taking on a daily basis, and how to take them correctly – something that older people, who may have several prescriptions, can find confusing.
- The Navigator Service is a new partnership between the ‘Anchor Staying Put' charity and East Sussex County Council. Navigators are trained community workers who visit older people in their homes to people about anything that could be done to improve their health or wellbeing. They then tell people about the services available in their area which might be able to help them.
Reference:
1712
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