Growth and development.pdf

2. Performance: Community CareBalance of care (aged 65+)Older people in residential care homes 247 15 3 221 13 4Older people in private nursing homes 501 30 1 581 34 1Older people receiving home care 1,578 93 2 1,509 88 2Older people in special needs housing 2,067 122.3 2 2,056 119.9 2People receiving a communitycare service1999actual1999-2000actual1999per 1,0001999-2000per 1,000QuartileQuartile2000actual2000-2001actual2000per 1,0002000-2001per 1,000QuartileQuartileOlder people (aged 65+) 3,609 210.5 2 4,047 236.1 2For mental health problems/dementia 204 2.0 3 206 2.0 4(aged 18-64)For physical disabilities (aged 18-64) 996 9.7 3 1,078 10.5 3For learning disabilities (aged 18-64) 313 3.1 3 310 3.0 3For drug/alcohol abuse problems 28 0.3 3 34 0.3 4(aged 18-64)The number of older people receiving a community care service in West Lothian has grown,commensurate with the increase in the number of older people and the rate is now highcompared to other authorities. Rates of older people living in special needs housing and ofolder people receiving a home care service are high. A low rate of older people live inresidential homes, the number having decreased between 1999 and 2000, but a high rate livein nursing homes.Following a review of its home care service in autumn 2001 the Council:• trained and introduced 240 personal care workers, working shifts from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.,7 days a week; staff work in teams and have recently developed a personal safety system;single health and care worker posts have yet to be agreed; and• introduced a new Home Meal Service and Shopping Service, which was extended across allareas, following a successful pilot; 100 people currently use the service; a home careassistant works alongside the delivery driver, puts the shopping away and checks that theclient is eating and storing food appropriately.Joint working between health, housing, education and social work staff have brought outcomesfor people with learning disability and for people with mental health problems. For people withlearning disabilities the Partnership in Practice agreement was established in summer 2001,setting out plans for an increase in the range of day opportunities and direct payments, amongother developments. The closure of Bangour Village Hospital has freed resources to extendcommunity nursing and improve services for older people with dementia in the community.This should reduce delayed discharges from hospital.The council and its health partners have already adopted joint resourcing for projects, particularlythrough their considerable efforts to reduce delayed discharges. Joint resourcing will be appliedinitially for services for older people and then for other adults, with possible extension tochildren’s services. The partners have drawn up the long list of services, including housing, andaim to conclude scoping the pot by spring. Single management of services – including at lowerlevels – is expected by summer 2002, again, firstly for older people, then for other adults. A jointstaff forum is in place. The partners are therefore making good progress.268