Early in 2014 all six North Wales Local Authorities and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board agreed the future framework for the delivery of integrated Health and Social Care for Older People with Complex Needs. A Statement of Intent was issued emphasising the need to take a robust and immediate approach to the Integration of Services for Older People.
Integrated Care is not about structures, organisations or pathways, nor about the way services are commissioned and funded. Its primary purpose is to ensure that citizens have a better experience of care and support, experience less inequality and achieve better outcomes. It is based on the understanding that for Older People, health, social care, third sector and independent services should be designed and delivered to promote and maximise well-being; enabling the person to live independently in their community for as long as possible with services being provided in the person’s own home or within community settings to avoid the need for ongoing, acute or institutional care.
What’s changed?
Integrated care is provided through the development of Locality Health & Wellbeing Hubs across both Conwy East and Conwy West, in Llandudno, Llanrwst and Colwyn Bay. This infrastructure enables the parties, i.e. CCBC, Health and Third Sector to work from the hubs, providing Wellbeing Services ranging through the whole spectrum, e.g. Health Precinct, Signposting, Reablement, Intermediate Care, Enhanced Care, Hospital, etc.
What difference has it made? A Case Study…
The Client: He has experienced a lot of pain over the years having been born with an extra sacral vertebrae, left leg shortened and has suffered 3 disc prolapses. Pre GP Referral to the service he was fitted with orthotics in both shoes and the consultant had forecast the need for an operation to clip together the mid-bones in one foot and the ankle fused. At referral the pain was so intense that he had virtually stopped walking, was constantly falling, was putting on weight and affected mentally. To manage this he was also taking a lot of prescription anti-inflammatories.
Client Support: Initially he joined the Council Walking Scheme for help to learn to walk upright having been fitted with new orthotics resulting in his leg height differential having been levelled up. Having benefited greatly from the Walking Scheme he was further referred on to the ‘Falls Prevention’ Programme. Today he experiences only the occasional day of pain, is taking very little pain killing medication, is able to walk freely and the expected operation has been put off and being monitored only by the Consultant.
Client Feedback: A Client testimonial has been received from him, in which he states that the Consultant is ‘a little surprised’ by the progress seen, that he no longer walks with a ‘sailors roll’, he now rarely falls but when he does he is usually able to save himself, he can now walk wherever he wants and is suffering very little pain.