Planning4care at Ageing Population conference

Planning4care attracted attention at the Ageing Population Conference 2010 where delegates were able to see demonstrations of the tool’s population needs assessment for older people’s social care in their local areas.

Demonstration of Planning4care at the Ageing population conference 25th February 2010

The conference addressed the social and economic implication of growing numbers of people aged over 65.  Key decision makers from across the UK had gathered to discuss next steps for implementation of   key strategies ranging from the Building a Society for all Ages strategy, through to the Shaping the Future of Social Care Together green paper.

Angela Eagle, Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing Society said that a shift in attitudes and a more coherent care system is needed to tackle the UK’s ageing population.

The Minister told delegates: ‘We are in the middle of shifting away from getting people in to nursing homes. I accept the longer you can keep people supported in their homes, the better, and can also prevent  the need for nursing care. We have to re-engineer our services. We have to realise we have an ad-hoc system and we have to turn it into one that is much more coherent’.

Dame Jo Williams CBE, the interim Chair of the Care Quality Commission called for joined-up healthcare.  She said: ‘An approach that focuses on the individuals, carers and families is needed. There is a need for joined-up care. We have to ask how partnerships can deliver person centred care. There has been good progress but lots still to do in terms of cultural change.’

Delegates also heard from the Department of Health about moving away from a hospital model of healthcare and working with patients who want to help themselves, including a number of on-going trials and integrated care pilots. Other areas highlighted at the conference included state pension reform, fuel poverty and Hampshire’s innovative Dementia Advisory Service.

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