Integrated working between residential care homes and primary care: a survey of care homes in England.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Older people living in care homes in England have complex health needs due to a range of medical conditions, mental health needs and frailty. Despite an increasing policy expectation that professionals should operate in an integrated way across organisational boundaries, there is a lack of understanding between care homes and the National Health Service (NHS) about how the two sectors should work together, meaning that residents can experience a poor "fit" between their needs, and services they can access. This paper describes a survey to establish the current extent of integrated working that exists between care homes and primary and community health and social services.

Methods

A self-completion, online questionnaire was designed by the research team. Items on t

SUBMITTER: Gage H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3534387 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature