Growth and development.pdf

2. Performance: Community CareBalance of care (aged 65+)Older people in residential care homes 647 26 1 612 25 1Older people in private nursing homes 733 30 1 692 28 2Older people receiving home care 1,294 53 4 1,282 52 4Older people in special needs housing 2,619 107.2 3 2,117 86 3People receiving a communitycare service1999actual1999-2000actual1999per 1,0001999-2000per 1,000QuartileQuartile2000actual2000-2001actual2000per 1,0002000-2001per 1,000QuartileQuartileOlder people (aged 65+) 4,354 176.9 3 4,764 193.5 3For mental health problems/dementia 237 3.0 3 237 3.0 3(aged 18-64)For physical disabilities (aged 18-64) 1,005 12.6 3 1,121 14.0 2For learning disabilities (aged 18-64) 256 3.2 3 266 3.3 3For drug/alcohol abuse problems 27 0.3 3 22 0.3 4(aged 18-64)Older people are more likely to live in residential and nursing homes in Perth & Kinross than inmany other authorities, although numbers are decreasing. Provision of special needs housingis relatively low and has fallen but there are more very sheltered houses in the area than inother authorities. The Council has a lower rate of older people with home care than most otherauthorities and care has been provided for fewer hours per week than the Scottish average.Changes are being made to provide more responsive care services for older people wishing toremain at home. The former home help service is gradually changing, with home carers workingmore flexible hours and undertaking personal care. Improvements are also being made topractical shopping, domestic and household services.A multi-disciplinary Intensive Care at Home Service (ICAHS) has been introduced to preventunnecessary admission and facilitate early discharge from Perth Royal Infirmary. It supportspeople with dementia, people with a progressive degenerative illness and carers in crisis. It alsoprovides early supported discharges for up to 10 days. For those people leaving acute hospitalbut not ready to return home to rural areas, a community liaison team arranges “stepdown”care in one of five community hospitals, allowing short term rehabilitation prior to discharge.A single learning disabilities service extends across the area, headed by a single manager andstaffed by secondments from health and social work. Preparations are being made to achieve ajoint budget and to develop performance indicators. Despite resources from the change fundand transitional housing benefit, many individual packages of care have proved expensive and35-40 individuals are placed outwith the area. Firm agreement has yet to be secured on residualNHS in-patient provision, following closure of Strathmartine Hospital.A designated officer co-ordinates future needs assessments for children with learning disabilitiesand engages health and education in provision of services. Vulnerable adults procedures havenot yet been developed, though there are existing guidelines on abuse.202