Council and democracy

Support for older people

One in every eight people in the county aged 65+ receives either community care or other residential care arranged by Adult Care Services. We aim to support family carers and to help vulnerable older people remain active and independent wherever possible through a network of support including day and home care.

Almost everyone would prefer to stay in their own home, living independent lives. This can be difficult after a long stay in hospital or when a disability becomes difficult to manage and some people can become very dependent on a package of care that may not be necessary if the right rehabilitation support were available. A considerable amount of effort and co-operation between hospital and social care staff continues to focus on reducing the number of people staying on in hospital once they are ready to leave on health grounds.

Working closely with Primary Care Trusts and the independent sector we are setting up more facilities for intermediate care across the county. Intermediate care can take many forms - it may be bed based or community based but the aim is to provide appropriate recovery and rehabilitation support, helping older people to regain their independence when they come out of hospital, and just as importantly, prevent them going unnecessarily into hospital. (There is no charge for intermediate care.) We also have social work teams in all the main hospitals to give advice and support to patients and their relatives.

Further information can be found in the links below:-