Involving older people in intermediate care

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Intermediate care is a key UK government initiative to improve services for older adults.
• There's a recognized need for increased user involvement in developing intermediate care services.
• National plans emphasize enhancing independence and quality of care for older people through service development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the concept of intermediate care.
• To identify trends and evidence of user involvement in care.
• To propose a path towards more user-sensitive intermediate care approaches.

Main Methods:

• Searched Medline, Cochrane Library, Social Science Citation Index, and CINAHL.
• Utilized keywords: 'intermediate care', 'older people', 'formal care', 'primary care', 'social services', 'geriatrics'.

Main Results:

• Significant potential exists for increased user involvement in intermediate care service development.
• Clarity of the intermediate care concept and integration of user involvement at practice and policy levels are crucial.
• Nurses play a vital role as primary providers of community-based intermediate care.

Conclusions:

• Shared understanding of intermediate care's purpose is fundamental for involving older people.
• Nurses should lead the shift from service-focused to patient-centered intermediate care.
• Effective participation requires tailored approaches, not global constructs, and robust implementation.