1. CARE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

2. NEEDS ASSESSMENT
 Elderly people have the right to have their needs
assessed when they may be having difficulties
coping and looking after themselves.
 Carried out by a social worker during a home visit.
 Assess living conditions – housing and
environment, cleanliness
 Assess independent living skills – able to cook or
have adequate nutrition, standard of personal
hygiene, level of mobility
 Assess financial situation – enough income
 Assess family situation – any informal carers to
help

3.  Will ask questions of the client and family and also
use observation.
 May ask the client to perform simple tasks and
observe how well they can do these, e.g. Going
upstairs, making a cup of tea.
 Social worker can make recommendations of
services needed by the person.

4.  Access to needs assessment is by:
 Self referral – but more commonly third party via a
relative or friend who will contact social services
department
 Professional referral – for example, by a hospital social
worker when the patient is ready for discharge or GP or
district nurse

5. DOMICILIARY (HOME) CARE
 Care provided for clients in their own homes.
 Home care worker visits client once or twice a day
to help with tasks such as:
 Helping them get up and dressed in the morning or
undressed and go to bed at night
 May do some housework and prepare meals
 May do shopping
 Home care (domiciliary) care workers may provide
the client with social contact and stimulation as they
may be the only people the client sees during the
day.
 Access would be by recommendation from needs
assessment

6.  Advantage is that the elderly person can remain in
their own homes longer and maintain their
independence.

7. DAY CENTRES
 People can visit once or twice a week to spend the
day there.
 Transport may be provided there and back – often
by community transport scheme
 Activities provided such as crafts, singing and
reminiscence sessions, bingo, exercise sessions
and so on.
 Meals are provided and in some cases the client
may be assisted to have a bath or shower
 One member of staff will usually be a trained nurse
so will be able to monitor health.

8.  What physical and psychological life
quality factors can be provided by this
service?

9.  Day centres can be provided by local authorities
and voluntary organisations such as Age UK (used
to be Age Concern).
 Access to a day centre can be by:
 Self or third party referral – client or relative makes a
request for cay care
 May be professional recommendation by a social worker

10. RESIDENTIAL HOMES
 Provide:
 Long term accommodation for those elderly people who
are unable to live in their own homes
 24 hour care
 Residents have own bedroom with some personal
effects – usually have own toilet and bathroom attached
 Provide meals and laundry service
 Day rooms where residents can meet other residents,
watch TV or join in other activities

11.  Help is given as needed with:
 Bathing
 Toileting
 Getting dressed
 Going to bed
 Hairdressers. Chiropodists, GPS and opticians
sometimes provide services within the home
 Staff are usually health care assistants, and
sometimes there are qualified nurses on duty
 Staff usually give out medication though some
clients can do this for themselves

12.  Each room is provided with an alarm system so that
the client can call for assistance if required
 Rooms are personalised with small items of
furniture, photographs and so on
 Usually a family atmosphere and family members
are encouraged to visit. Birthdays are celebrated
 Some residential homes are provided by local
authorities but most are now privately run and
privately funded
 Some are run by voluntary, not-for-profit
organisations such as retired servicemen’s homes

13.  In all homes, some residents are supported by local
authority social service budgets whilst some people
pay all the fees themselves if they have more
money
 NURSING HOMES – provide all the services
provided by residential homes but they specialise in
residents who have greater health problems.
 Examples may be people who have had strokes or
who are severely disabled or who have terminal
illnesses.
 To provide there are more qualified nursing staff
employed

14.  Nursing homes charge higher fees than residential
homes to cover the cost of the more specialised
care provided.
 Access to residential and nursing homes depends
on who is paying the fees:
 For those people who pay their own fees access is by
applying directly to the home
 For those people who will be funded by social services,
access is by a needs assessment carried out by a social
worker.

15.  Summary of main types of service provision for
elderly people:
 Needs assessment
 Domiciliary care
 Day centres
 Residential care homes
 Nursing homes