Summary
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a new quality standard “Home Care For Older People: Quality Standard (QS123)”, which covers recommended minimum standards for home care. It clarifies how social care providers can help older people to maintain independence for as long as possible. This quality standard is likely to support much-needed improvements across many outcomes, including social care and health-related quality of life.
The main section headings comprise:
- List of Quality Statements.
- Quality statement 1: Person-centred planning.
- Quality statement 2: Plan for missed or late visits.
- Quality statement 3: Consistent team of home care workers.
- Quality statement 4: Length of home care visits.
- Quality statement 5: Reviewing the outcomes of the home care plan.
- Quality statement 6: Supervision of home care workers.
- Using the quality standard.
- Diversity, equality and language.
- Development sources.
- Related NICE quality standards.
Reference
Home Care For Older People: NICE Quality Standard 123. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), June 22nd 2016.
There is an accompanying NICE Care Pathway:
Reference
Home care for older people. NICE Pathways. [Online]: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, June 2016.
Applications of New Technology?
Possibly of interest, some recent examples of how information technology is being used for booking carers and facilitating remote monitoring of the elderly, potentially reducing the need for home visits.
Reference
Pym, H. (2017). ‘I book home care for my mum online’. London: BBC Health News, July 4th 2017.
