The first challenge on your improvement journey is to identify whether there are areas of the care you provide for frail older patients that could be improved, and then convincing others that the solution to the problem is the right one.
You may already have a good idea about the service outcomes you wish to improve. Evidence suggests that integrating assessment and management of frail older patients into your service is more effective than having a consultation geriatric service at arm’s length.
Designing solutions and delivering change is more effective when delivered by a core team of people who invest in engaging with a network of stakeholders. You may wish to start thinking about the advocates of improving care for frail older people in your service early.
The overarching message about successful improvement shows how social relationships in organisations are key for embedding the technical features of change. A lot of time and energy in leading organisational change will require you to uncover and mitigate barriers.
The aim of the Hospital Wide Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (HoW CGA) project was to inform NHS managers, clinicians, patients and the public about how best to organise hospital services for frail older people.
The aim of this project was to provide high quality evidence on delivering hospital-wide Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) improves outcomes for frail older people, particularly on specialised wards.
People with dementia are not children but the effect of a hospital stay can be catastrophic for a person with dementia . John's Campaign promotes open visiting hours to enable the family of the person with dementia to minimise the confusion and distress of a hospital stay.
The RCP Guidance on safe medical staffing aims to help those planning hospital services to answer: ‘How many doctors or their alternatives, with what capabilities, do we need to provide safe, timely and effective care for patients with medical problems?'.
Ignoring older patients’ potential for personal growth could be a form of ageism, according to Prof John Gladman. “People can still have personal growth independent of the negatives of physical decline and social loss and we should be asking ourselves how we can encourage that.
Read our international journal publishing refereed original articles and commissioned reviews on geriatric medicine and gerontology