Effective healthcare support to care homes

Introduction

The mandatory requirement for local authorities to promote individual well-being has placed a renewed focus on the provision of healthcare support for care home residents. However, little is known about the most effective ways to structure and deliver this care and their costs, the aspects of such services that are valued most, or the impact of these arrangements on long-term residents’ health.

This study, informed by the views of care home managers and practitioners in healthcare support teams, will address this evidence gap.

• First, using data from a national survey, specialist care home support services will be classified and their operational costs and perceived benefits investigated.
• Second, a literature review will be conducted to explore the outcomes of specialist healthcare support services for care home residents.
• Third, utilising data on one geographical area, approaches to care home support will be identified and secondary data analysis will be undertaken to explore the association between different forms of healthcare support and both emergency hospital admissions and place of death.
• Fourth, a structured consultation with care home managers and interested citizens will be undertaken to assess the value they place on different aspects of healthcare services for care home residents.