When buying products and services, we all like to be treated as an individual whose custom is genuinely appreciated by the company we purchase from.. There’s no reason to expect any less when…
Month: February 2016
Solving the Person-Centred Care Conundrum
When buying products and services, we all like to be treated as an individual whose custom is genuinely appreciated by the company we purchase from..
There’s no reason to expect any less when arranging care for our elderly relatives… but we do.
Person-centred care is considered by most health and social care stakeholders to be the best way to help our “Golden Generation” enjoy healthy ageing.
There are few that would disagree, especially as our elderly population continues to develop more complex health issues as they grow older.
There’s much rhetoric on the importance of person-centred care. However, the challenge remains on how best to deliver it. The main issue appears to be the lack of necessary resources – both human and financial. These issues will remain as existing services get stretched to breaking point as demand increases.
There are many well established health care organisations with excellent infrastructures, systems & procedures in place and experienced people running them. However, they do not have sufficient personalised care services within their portfolios to meet the needs of our ageing population.
At the same time an amazing range of micro-care services that put elderly people and their families at the heart of everything they do is emerging. Social Entrepreneurs are leading this movement and proving how person-centred care can be delivered and produce spectacular, cost-effective outcomes.
The biggest challenge facing Social Entrepreneurs is the lack of infrastructure, robust systems & procedures to support them in making their social dream a reality. They often work alone and have to manage all aspects of their enterprise. At times this can be overwhelming and can lead to the passion for their idea dwindling.
So here’s an idea…. Why don’t the giants of healthcare forge strong partnerships with emerging micro-services?
The results would be there for all to see…. a refreshing range of person centred care services, tailored to meet the needs of local communities, delivered by compassionate, professional people, supported by the infrastructure and resources of large care organisations. This would lead to more families being able to select the right care package for their loved ones.
This has got to be the way forward if we are genuinely serious about person-centred care.
An Imperfect Storm In Elderly Care
A storm is brewing in the world of social care for the elderly. If there was a ” Social Care Richter Scale” it would be categorised as a “Hurricane”. We need to get our age…
An Imperfect Storm Brewing In Elderly Care
I have never understood why people call an impending crisis “a perfect storm”. Surely when we face a disaster it’s the opposite? As far as I’m concerned an “imperfect storm” is brewing in the world of health and social care for the elderly. There is nothing perfect about it!! If there was a ” Social Care Richter Scale” it would be categorised as a “Hurricane” with devastating consequences to life.
The storm itself has been bubbling away for some time but it’s now gathering strength as a result of these prevailing conditions;
- Ageing population
- Increase in complex chronic illness
- Reduction in local authority budgets
- NHS stretched to breaking point
- 25% of hospital beds occupied by people with dementia
- Burden of care being left on the shoulders of loved ones
- Demoralised social care workers
- Lack of person-centred care services
It’s not too late to avert the disaster but we need to act quickly, think differently and focus our resources on primary, person-centred care for the elderly and their loved ones. If we continue to deliver elderly care in the current way then the results will be devastating for all of us, resulting in the social breakdown of communities.
In our own small way we’ve helped families out of the “path of the storm” by giving them precious moments of enjoyment, relaxation and compassion. So far we’ve proved how we can help people living with dementia and Parkinson’s disease improve their lives. But there’s so much more we can do – given the right support from health & wellbeing stakeholders.
In the meantime…
It’s been an absolute privilege guiding families caring for our golden generation to “calmer waters”. The good news is, as the famous lyrics of The Carpenters song goes “we’ve only just begun”!!!!
Time To Deliver On Social Care Promise We Made To Our Golden Generation
Starting your journey into the world of social enterprise begins with lots of research and hours of reading publications, reports, studies, policy documents, legislation, mission statements and pl…
Source: Time To Deliver On Social Care Promise We Made To Our Golden Generation
Time To Deliver On The Social Care Promise We Made To Our Golden Generation
A journey into the world of social enterprise begins with lots of research and hours of reading publications, reports, studies, policy documents, legislation, mission statements and pledges on stakeholder websites outlining their commitments to an ageing population.
It’s refreshing to know there are so many health and social care stakeholders involved in developing better support structures for our “Golden Generation”. Here’s a few of the pledges made recently;
“There’s no excuse for poor health care” … Norman Lamb (Former Health Minister)
“A society where kindness, care and dignity takes precedence over structures and systems” Care Act 2012
“The wellbeing and quality of life of people with dementia and their families should be uppermost in the minds of those commissioning and providing services” Care Act 2012
“Improving the dementia journey” Lincolnshire CC
“Compel commissioners to consider wider social value when deciding on services” Public services (Social Value) Act 2012.
Worthy and commendable words. So why are we struggling to deliver these pledges, promises and commitments to the elderly?
Why are we allowing our “Golden Generation” to live in lonely, vulnerable and socially isolated environments?
Why do we tolerate care being delivered in fifteen minute packages?
The promises seem a million miles away from reality of social care being provided for the elderly.
Until we create an environment where person-centred care services can be delivered by compassionate, well-motivated people, we will continue to fail our ageing population and their families.
It’s heart breaking to witness the despair, isolation and helplessness elderly people and their loved ones face every day. That’s why we’re committed to delivering unique, personalised care programmes that improve the health & wellbeing of elderly people – and just as importantly, their loved ones.
Now is the perfect time for health & social care stakeholders to embrace the positive social impact micro, primary care services like ours are producing. In reality it’s the only way we will achieve our shared ambition of having better integrated, personalised care for our ageing population…
In the meantime we’ll carry on delivering over £1000 of social capital every time we meet up with our “golfing buddies” and their families. Providing the compelling evidence is the only way to change attitudes and approaches to how we deliver care for our Golden Generation.
Compelling Social Outcomes Generated by Golf In Society
Compelling Social Outcomes Generated by Golf In Society
Improving the lives of less fortunate people in society is the most rewarding and inspirational thing anyone can do.
Being able to make a positive contribution by just “being yourself” whilst “playing a game you love” with people who genuinely appreciate your friendship, compassion and support has got to be the best job out there.
When I began in September with my vision to improve people’s lives by introducing them to golf, I never dreamt it would have such an immediate impact. The speed at which the pilot has gathered momentum and delivered compelling social outcomes has amazed me.
I’ve spent the last few weeks measuring the outcomes generated during the pilot phase. The results are compelling evidence that micro-services, such as “Golf Days Out”, are probably the best way to deliver person-centred care in our local communities.
It’s widely accepted that for every £1 of investment the average social return is between £6 and £7. I’ve used this as the benchmark figure to assess our performance against other social care services.
The Social Return On Investment (SROI) delivered by our golf scheme has been an amazing £10.68. That’s over 60% higher than the average social return!!
The social impact created by our service can stand the closest scrutiny – and that’s why it’s such compelling evidence. The fact that it’s been piloted, tested, tweaked and evaluated by a team of compassionate and talented people means that we’re in a strong position to present it’s undoubted potential to stakeholders very soon!!
With the ever-increasing pressure on Local Authority and NHS budgets and the continuous growth in our elderly population, this is exactly the type of social return we should be delivering through other social care services.
Getting healthcare stakeholders to embrace new services that can deliver compelling social outcomes is crucial if we are to succeed in our quest to provide quality care for our “Golden Generation”.
Micro-services have a huge part to play in providing the person-centred care our ageing population deserve.
