A report examined older people's experiences of mental health services, highlighting problems of discrimination.
Source: Access All Ages, Mind (020 8519 2122)
Links: Report (pdf) | Mind press release
Date: 2005-Oct
A series of articles examined the options for changing the law on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
Source: British Medical Journal, 24 September 2005
Links: BMJ press release | CofE press release
Date: 2005-Sep
The Welsh Assembly government began consultation on a draft National Service Framework for Older People, setting out what older people could expect from health and social care services by setting national standards to drive up quality and reduce variations in service delivery.
Source: Draft National Service Framework for Older People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | WAG press release
Date: 2005-Jul
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on continuing care. It agreed with the committee's call for greater flexibility for direct payment users whose care became the responsibility of the National Health Service through the continuing care system.
Source: Response to Health Select Committee Report on Continuing Care, Cm 6650, Department for Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report
Date: 2005-Jul
A report evaluated the 'Evercare' programme of case management introduced into nine primary care trusts in England. Under the programme, specially trained nurses based in family doctor surgeries closely monitored and managed the care of frail, elderly patients who might otherwise have ended up in hospital. Patients and carers expressed great satisfaction with the programme. Nurses reported that their skills were enhanced and that they were able to improve the care of patients. Family doctors generally thought that the care of patients was improved and their workload lightened.
Source: Assessment of the Evercare Programme in England 2003-2004 - Final Report, UnitedHealth Europe (020 7202 0800)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Appendix (pdf) | UHE press release (pdf)
Date: 2005-Jun
A report said that discrimination against older people by health services was preventing many of them from having a dignified death.
Source: Jane Seymour, Ros Witherspoon, Merryn Gott, Helen Ross and Sheila Payne with Tom Owen, End of Life Care: Promoting comfort, choice and well being for older people at the end of their lives, Policy Press with Help the Aged, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2005-May
A report by a committee of MPs said that arrangements for funding long-term healthcare were "beset with complexity", and that a lack of clear government guidance had led to widespread geographical variations in service provision.
Source: NHS Continuing Care, Sixth Report (Session 2004-05), HC 399, House of Commons Health Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Alzheimer's Society press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Apr
An interim report said that the Evercare programme, combining nurse-led care and case management as a way of reducing the number of unplanned emergency admissions of frail elderly people, might not be as effective as first thought.
Source: Ruth Boaden et al., Evercare Evaluation Interim Report: Implications for supporting people with long-term conditions, National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (0161 275 0611)
Links: Report (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Feb
An article said that government plans to use community matrons to help keep older people out of hospital might be based on misleading data. The plans aimed to cut hospital stays by tracking admission rates among older patients and then using specially trained nurses to care for them at home: but admissions would probably decline anyway, without intervention.
Source: Martin Roland, Mark Dusheiko, Hugh Gravelle and Stuart Parker, 'Follow up of people aged 65 with a history of emergency admissions: analysis of routine admission data', British Medical Journal, 5 February 2005
Links: Article | BMJ press release
Date: 2005-Feb
