What quality healthcare means to older people: exploring and meeting their needs

The over 85s is the fastest growing age group in England and a major user of healthcare services. It is vital to understand what quality healthcare means to this group.

To investigate qualitatively what vulnerable older people value in the NHS and whether these aspirations are being met by policy and practice.

Face to face interviews were conducted with 20 vulnerable older adults, most of whom were aged over 80, and the findings matched with current policy and practice.

Nine aspirations were identified: face to face, personalised and flexible appointments; to retain control in their home; respect for property and belongings; company and the opportunity to be listened to; proactive healthcare and support; choice and control over daily routines; a connected relationship between staff and patients; maintenance of privacy in hospital; and joined-up care.

Gaps can be identified in each of these areas and the government, healthcare providers and professionals, as well as regulators and professional bodies, need to take steps to ensure policy and practice meet the needs of vulnerable older people.

There are two main conclusions from this work: older people are more concerned about their needs being met than about who meets them; and if the NHS is serious about delivering quality it needs to listen to patients about what they want rather than making assumptions about this.