Find out why hospital admissions from care homes are rising and how live-in care can help reduce the risk of hospital admission for your or your loved one.
New Care Quality Commission (CQC) figures indicate emergency hospital admissions from care homes have risen sharply since 2010, representing an increase of 62%.
Here, we’ll introduce you to some of the contributing factors cited by CQC, and explain how live-in care can help reduce your loved one’s risk of requiring an emergency hospital admission.
Why have hospital admissions from care homes spiked since 2010?
Rates of emergency hospital admissions from care homes have risen from 17,539 in 2010/11 to 28,471 in 2016/17.
A range of factors is likely to be contributing towards this increase, including:
- Our ageing society
- Increased demand for health and social care services
- NHS job vacancy rates of approximately 100,000
- Stretched social care services
- Poor preventative/early stage care practices
Commenting on the potential causes, Shadow Social Care Minister Barbara Keeley said: “Without the right care and support, many elderly people are reaching crisis point and ending up in hospital.”
Keeley also pointed towards other recent CQC figures, that showed almost 25% of care homes are now classified as ‘requiring improvement’.
Nigel Edwards, Nuffield Trust Chief Executive, provided his take on these figures, suggesting: “We may not be equipping care home staff well enough to deal with things like falls and infections that can be managed outside of hospital.”
Defending its position, a Department of Health spokesperson stated: “We know the health service is under pressure due to our ageing population and we’re committed to tackling the challenges it brings.”
Live-in care can help reduce hospital admission rates
Live-in care ensures your loved one has someone on hand 24/7 to take preventative measures that can help minimise the risk of incidents and emergencies.
The care team will also be ideally placed to intervene quickly in the event of an incident or illness. This helps prevent your loved one’s condition from deteriorating to the point that a hospital admission is needed.
At The Good Care Group, we’ve taken additional, innovative steps to help protect older people from the stress and upheaval associated with hospital admission, including our:
- Falls management programme, which reduced rates of falls by 97% within nine months (making our rate up to 37% lower than that of care homes)
- Urinary tract infection (UTI) testing initiative, which has significantly reduced UTI rates and related hospital admissions
- Nurse-led care capabilities, which aids recovery and ensures doctors’ instructions are carried out accurately
- Preventative care processes, such as managing medication and keeping up with flu and other relevant vaccinations
- Hospital discharge procedure, which ensures that – even when a hospital admission is required – your loved one can settle back in quickly to their own home
With hospital admissions from care homes rising, it makes sense to learn more about the other care options available to you or your loved one.
Find out more about how live-in care can help reduce hospital admission rates by speaking with the friendly team at The Good Care Group.
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