Understanding and improving transitions of older people: a user and carer centred approach

Abstract

This project focuses on older people and their transition between different services and agencies in health and social care. Research studies and reports from inspectors have shown that older people experience many problems before, during and after transitions. This project will be conducted in four local areas and has two key aims. First, it will explore what information, support and care is needed by older people (and their carers) as they go through a transition. Second, the project team will work with people and organisations in the four local areas to put the findings into practice.It is increasingly recognised that older people should be involved in improving the quality of services for their use. In this project, older people who are service users and carers will be recruited, trained and supported to participate in the research. They will work with academic researchers to conduct in-depth interviews in order to find out about older people's experiences of a recent care transition. Analysis of the data and presentation of the findings will be carried out jointly by academic and user/carer researchers.The project team will feed back the findings of the interviews in each of the local areas. It will also provide support to people and organisations in these areas to put the findings into practice, in order to improve transitions for older people. In each area, a local advisory group, which include service users and carers, will lead this process. The findings from the in-depth interviews and the local implementation activities will be shared with NHS, social care and other organisations nationally.

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