Barnstaple Crediton Exmouth Okehampton South Molton
Service Delivery for Older People across Devon
Report for Period Ending October - December 2012
A report especially prepared for District and County Councillors
across Devon
Introduction
This document represents a brief representation of the work done by local independent Age Concern organisations across Devon.
Information provided • Outline of Services delivered • Outcomes for service users • Tackling Loneliness for older people across the County • The number of clients using our services • Evaluation of the service and its preventative impact on health and social care
Age Concern Barnstaple, Crediton, Exmouth, Okehampton and South Molton are all local independent charities providing activities and services to support older people across Devon.
"What's in a name?" - Age Concern or AGE UK
It is not widely know that not every Age Concern became an AGE UK. Many Age Concern organisations across the UK did not join forces with Age UK and they remain today as they always have • Independent • Local and • Pro-active in providing services and activities to support older peoples communities across the country • Specifically in Devon, Age Concern continues to tackle loneliness and isolation by bringing advantage and benefit to the well-being of older people across the County
Summary
• Age Concern organisations named in this document provide preventative social and health care • We aim to keep older people enabled, support their self-confidence and create a better quality of life for their general well-being. • We provide services and activities to help combat loneliness and isolation.
In addition we work with stroke and other chronic condition victims by developing and running reablement services. Many of our Day Centres host day-care for Dementia sufferers as well as providing many Carer respite services. We support older people to retain their independence.
We host formal and informal day care, provide lunch clubs, coach trips, activities and signposting and referral services working closely with partners across Devon as well providing quality Information and Advice services. We constantly review our services and activities to meet the needs of older people throughout Devon
Page 2 of 6 Reducing Loneliness throughout Devon
“Lonely-itis” is a term we use to describe a particular group of people who for whatever reason don't fare well with their own well-being. Often they are lonely, feel isolated and not part of their local community. Often they are quite well physically but perceive they are not. Thus the outcome for many is that of despair with uncertainty coupled to a lack of confidence.
The outcome of this is they often end up in the GP Surgery or at the door of Care Direct for no apparent reason. Moreover they have a misperceived perception of their life. That misperception with some support could see them feeling better about themselves and the world around them.
Celebrating Jubilee Day with Fish & Chips!
This is where the local Age Concern across Devon comes in.
We provide opportunities across the county for older people to interact with us. We generate services and activities that help people feel better about themselves, we provide them with practical as well as emotional support. We can help them to remain in their own homes for as long as they choose to do so.
Across Devon we do this by being the biggest united outreach for older people in rural and urban Devon. Together we have provided over 125 years worth of support, with over c.30,000 volunteer hours in the last year alone, and have raised £000's for the support of older people.
Page 3 of 6 Outcomes
The services and activities provided meet a wide range of expected outcomes whether for individual clients or groups of clients. By design we pick up on the needs of individuals at any given point in the pursuit of providing well-being and enabling services.
Service users fall into two camps with both having ‘preventative health care’ as the driver of the outcome.
1. Outcomes that are broad and general are achieved by activities and services promoting good all round well-being and social interaction. Such activities capture a wide range and greater number of people particularly when the activity encourages groups of people to interact. A monthly coach trip for example or a visit to our Lunch Club or a day at out our day centre.
2. Outcomes which are specific to individuals are achieved where the activity or service promotes one-to-one intervention. In this case a personal intervention takes place with the objective that a desired or specific outcome is achieved. We match the needs of the individual. Activities such as this are usually based around quality of life issues. A Benefits check via our Information & Advice service for example, or learning to use a computer, mobile phone, or receive support at home from our Handyman, Cleaner, Shopper or Befriender .
Creating an enabling environment whereby a client can reduce their reliability on a GP or Social Services to fulfil their needs with regard to isolation and loneliness is our prime objective.
Services Provided Throughout the year across Devon are
• Coach Trips and Social outings • Drop-in access for Information & Advice 5 days a week • Form-Filling and Advocacy services • Home visiting services • De-Clutter services • Handyman • Computer and IT awareness sessions • Free Tax and legal affairs surgeries • Products for older people (Insurance, Funeral Plans, Stair lifts, Alarm Pendants, Walking aids etc) • Personal Support Planning • Support at home including domestic cleaning, shopping and befriending • Day Centres – which include lunch club as well as day centre activities
We cross-refer throughout Devon via the Age Concern network of groups. We partner local agencies including our local GP surgeries as well as Care Direct. We signpost clients to a multitude of other agencies and we work for the client to arrange referrals on their behalf.
Page 4 of 6 Profile of our older Service Users (Clients)
Our clients are people aged 50+ but typically are more likely to be in their later 60s, 70, 80s and 90s
Our client profile is best described in two categories:
• Public clients are in ‘broad terms’ any member of the public who by their own definition want to use the services and activities provided by Age Concern. Typically this group is perceived compos mentis and able to influence their own outcomes. They are o Aged 50+ o Use any of our services or activities as and when they choose o Use Information and Advice services for themselves or on behalf of another – e.g. a close family member, friend, neighbour or other relative
• Individual clients are the largest and most consistent group we interact with. These are the ‘walking wounded’. Older people who outwardly give the impression they can cope with life but exist with the reality of ‘lonely-itis’ and often do not cope well at all.
These clients are individuals or groups who to a greater or lesser degree are experiencing
o “Lonely-itis” o Anxiety o Depression o Lack of opportunity o Lack of well-being o Feeling socially excluded o In need of respite (Carers) o Not coping with everyday life experiences o Struggling to maintain independence o Dementia /Alzheimer’s
Age groups in both categories vary.
• Public is typically aged 50 – 80 a group who often can manage themselves quite well. • Individuals are substantially people aged 60 – 90+ who don’t fare well
Evaluation of the service and its preventative impact
Our services are linked with other community groups and projects providing continuity for the client and acting as an overarching monitor in preventative health care.
All of the Devon Age Concern organisations link with GP surgeries and work closely with Social and Health Care Services. We have good relations with local hospitals as well having direct input with local Care Managers for both Care Direct and Community Mental Health Teams.
Typically preventative health and social care is our objective.
Page 5 of 6 Statistical Information - Period: October - December 2012
Service Crediton Barnstaple Exmouth Okehampton South Totals Activity Molton Information & 75 380 730 105 70 1360 Advice Enq's Day Care place 810 n/a 945 Refer / work n/a 1755 attended with local providers Lunch Clubs n/a 340 680 Refer / work 2500 3520 Users with local providers Forms Filled 10 48 63 Work with 5 126 West Devon CAB Coach Trips n/a n/a 232 Okehampton 1 233 /Outings Users Community Transport Foot-Care n/a 55 n/a 95 n/a 150 Computer / IT 5 25 64 123 n/a 217 Support Misc. Activities 20 82 108 20 18 248 Users Home Visits 1080 121 30 Volunteer Hours 350 585 640 850 380 2705
Other Information
Area Additional Information Crediton Transport their clients to day centre and make active referrals to other agencies.
Barnstaple Refer and signpost to partner Transport services
Exmouth Refer and signpost to partner Transport services Introduced Tai-Chi class May 2012 Opened a therapeutic massage session for Day Centre Visitors July 2012 Okehampton Assist each client by carrying out an active referral to transport services Recent exercise groups attracted over 400 attendances South Signpost to transport services Molton
Please contact us ...... we are Age Concern Barnstaple Andrea Scott [email protected] Crediton Bev Whaley [email protected] Exmouth Steve Dace [email protected] Okehampton Barrie Duke [email protected] South Molton Gwen Kingdon or Christine Thake [email protected] Page 6 of 6