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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| The value of specialist clinical assessment of older people prior to entry to care homes | | Author(s) | David Challis, Paul Clarkson, Janine Williamson |
| Journal title | Age and Ageing, vol 33, no 1, January 2004 |
| Pages | pp 25-33 |
| Source | http://www.ageing.oupjournals.org |
| Keywords | Needs [elderly] ; Health services ; Screening ; Evaluation ; Admission [care homes] ; Admission [nursing homes]. |
| Annotation | Since the community care reforms in the early 1990s, there has been variability in assessment practices and a relative lack of specialist health care expertise in the assessment process. In the present study, 256 older people at risk of care home entry were randomly allocated either to a control group who received usual care management assessment, or to an experimental group who, in addition, received a clinical assessment by a geriatrician or old age psychiatrist. The clinical assessment uncovered covert morbidity previously unknown to care managers, particularly in respect of cognitive impairment, and was adjudged acceptable to the different stakeholders involved. Those receiving the clinical assessment experienced less deterioration in their physical functioning, had less contact wth nursing homes and emergency services, and their carers experienced reduced levels of distress. Overall, costs of care for those receiving the assessment were no greater, with NHS costs actually lower. Such specialist assessment is important in the context of current policy goals and the future role of specialist medical and psychiatric services in the community. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-040303210 A |
| Classmark | IK: L: 3V: 4C: KW:QKH: LHB:QKH |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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