The home-visiting process for older people in the in-patient intermediate care services

Older people account for a significant proportion of users of health and social care services (Wanless, 2006). Within current constraints on health and social care services, it is essential that interventions such as home visits for older people can be seen to be appropriately deployed resources for facilitating their safe and timely discharge home. This paper discusses the findings of an evaluation project undertaken in 2003/04 within two in-patient intermediate care services. The service provided short-term intervention for older people, with an emphasis on rehabilitation to enable a safe return to their own home environment. A government audit report in 2003 concerning effective discharge of older patients from NHS acute hospitals stated that delayed discharges are a significant problem, with 17% caused by delays in assessing patients, shortages of occupational therapists and lack of integrated therapy services (House of Commons, 2003).