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Widening choices for older people with high support needs: summary
- Author:
- BOWERS Helen
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 8p.
- Place of publication:
- York
This brief paper summarises the findings of a two- year study of support options available to older people with high support needs. It sets out the potential for viable alternatives to traditional forms of long-term care, how to widen support at a local level and how to overcome cultural and structural barriers that older people face. Older people with high support needs want greater choice and control over their lives and a wider range of options. The study identifies the benefits and potential of options based on mutuality (people supporting each other) and/or reciprocity (people contributing to individual and group well-being). Formal (e.g. Shared Lives, Homeshare, Time Banks) and informal (e.g. mutually supportive relationships) models and arrangements can be found throughout the UK, but they usually operate under the radar of public sector commissioners and on a very small scale. The study identifies five priorities to make change happen: communicating and demonstrating benefits, raising public awareness and engagement, tackling interfaces with other services, replication and scaling out, and mobilising resources.
Promoting interdependence: a new challenge in developing services for older people
- Author:
- BOWERS Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Managing Community Care, 9(6), December 2001, pp.34-39.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
This article presents evidence gained from development projects and consultancy across the country about the meaning and nature of 'independence'. The concept is examined in relation to the current policy context of social inclusion, partnerships and modernisation, with specific reference to the implementation of the National Service Framework.
Developing inclusive mental health services for older people
- Author:
- BOWERS Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health Review, 6(2), June 2001, pp.6-13.
- Publisher:
- Pier Professional
Discusses the need for specific mental health services for older people, and the obstacles to the recognition of mental health problems in older people. Also looks at recent policy developments, including the National Service Framework for Older people. Finally, provides an overview of the current issues and challenges.
Widening choices for older people with high support needs: report
- Authors:
- BOWERS Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 95p.
- Place of publication:
- York
This paper reports the findings of Not A One Way Street, a collaborative research project designed to better understand the various ways in which older people with high support needs take up active roles within support arrangements based on mutuality and reciprocity. It describes the benefits and outcomes achieved for individuals, families, communities and providers based on a typology of mutual support that describes the options such as: Shared Lives, Homeshare, cohousing, time banks, mutually supportive relationships, self-help/peer support networks, and mutually supportive communities. More than 100 people across the UK shared their experiences of and outcomes achieved by these models. Ten characteristics or conditions for successful support are highlighted. The study concludes that such options work best when they are locally focused, personally delivered and connected to other services and networks. However it is noted that significant change will be needed in the way that services are commissioned and delivered if current options for support are to be widened to include these models. Barriers include negative attitudes about and narrow perceptions of older age, professional scepticism, and the need for clear outcomes. The report concludes with priorities for action.
Not a one way street: research into older people's experiences of support based on mutuality and reciprocity: interim findings
- Authors:
- BOWERS Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 34p.
- Place of publication:
- York
This paper outlines emerging findings and key messages from the first 2 stages of an action research project called 'Not A One-Way Street', which is part of the Better Life programme. The project focuses on the various ways in which older people with high support needs take up active roles within different support arrangements based on 'mutuality and reciprocity'. Mutuality and reciprocity refers to arrangements designed to enable those involved to both give and receive support. Research activities have involved: a call for information which has led to useful case studies and leads for follow-up work; a literature search; a mapping exercise of known reciprocal schemes; and a public meeting. Drawing on the findings of this research, this paper explores alternative approaches to planning, funding and providing long term care for older people with high support needs, particularly focusing on the ways older people take up active roles based on mutuality and reciprocity. It provides stories and situations where those involved are giving and receiving support, rather than more traditional services provided by professionals or organisations. The aim is that this work will contribute to emerging discussions and developments associated with mutuality and reciprocity.
Older people's vision for long-term care
- Authors:
- BOWERS Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation
- Publication year:
- 2009
- Pagination:
- 56p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- York
The research project explored the voice, choice and control of older people living with high support needs. The research involved a scoping study exploring the current role of long term care; a series of discussions with older people, their families and professionals; synthesis of key messages with a diverse advisory group; local feedback; and a national ‘sounding board’ event to identify the key messages to be shared. Those involved in the study emphasised the need for all sectors to work to ensure that older people's vision for their own future is widely owned and used to move from the current default model of residential care towards a range of more flexible options.
Person centred thinking with older people: practicalities and possibilities
- Authors:
- BOWERS Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- HSA Press
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 95p.
- Place of publication:
- Stockport
This book is compiled specifically for people who work with older people. Older people want real choices and the responsibility to choose the best possible lifestyle for them with the support they need. This book of person centred thinking tools gives you an opportunity to start supporting older people to lead the lives they want by offering practical ways to gather information and to start to set actions that make a real difference. Sections covered include: Appreciations, Relationships, Sorting important to/for, Communication, Histories, Wishing, Good days and bad days and Working/not working.
Making a difference through volunteering: the impact of volunteers who support and care for people at home
- Authors:
- BOWERS Helen, et al
- Publisher:
- CSV
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 140p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The research found that volunteers can break social isolation and improve independence and well-being among older people. Researchers found that 83 per cent of older people who receive volunteer support, report improvements in their quality of life. The report found that volunteers can boost people’s confidence and self-esteem, because someone who isn’t being paid thinks they are important enough to care about. The research noted the wide range of tasks carried out by volunteers, which are often not provided by any other sector, such as dog-walking, accompanying people to doctor appointments and helping with housework. Volunteers provide a service different from but complementary to the statutory sector. The report argues that this should be encouraged and developed and recommends that volunteers be treated as part of a very broad public services system.
Promoting health and active life in older age: lessons from working with Standard 8 of the National Service Framework for Older People
- Authors:
- GRANVILLE Gillian, BOWERS Helen
- Journal article citation:
- MCC Building Knowledge for Integrated Care, 10(6), December 2002, pp.32-42.
- Publisher:
- Pavilion
Explores how Standard 8 of the NSF for Older People can help local services and communities address the health inequalities agenda. Introduces the initiatives being undertaken by eight pilot sites participating in the Pre-Retirement Health Check Pilots Initiative managed by the Health Development Agency, and shares some of the emerging themes from their work. Concludes by reflecting on the links between the work of the pilots and the requirements of Standard 8, as well as the wider policy and practice implications for sustaining this work beyond the life of the project.
Personalisation through person-centred thinking with older people
- Authors:
- SANDERSON Helen, BAILEY Gill, BOWERS Helen
- Journal article citation:
- Community Connecting, 23, November 2009, pp.14-16.
- Publisher:
- Community Connecting
Using case examples, this article describes the Practicalities and Possibilities Development Programme, which was developed by the Older People's Programme, the Centre for Policy on Ageing and Helen Sanderson Associates to help councils and their NHS partners work together to improve outcomes for older people using a range of person-centred techniques, and has been running in 9 local authorities in England over 18 months. The programme includes a resource pack containing lessons and stories showing how the areas (Bournemouth, Buckinghamshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Dorset, Enfield, Hounslow, Leicester, and Tameside) created a personalised approach using different person-centred tools to learn who the older person is, what is important to them and how they want to be supported. The article sets out the lessons from the local authorities' work for helping older people experience the benefits of personalisation, including involving older people from the start both individually and collectively to identify key priorities, developing partnerships, the importance of a strategic approach with support from a senior lead, investing in creating the right conditions for change, and recognising that it is change both for staff and for older people and families.