Health and Care in our Ageing Society

This theme aims to promote independence, dignity and wellbeing throughout later life, including for people living with dementia, frailty and those approaching the end of life. It focuses on community-based models of health and social care, inclusive digital health solutions and prevention.

The theme addresses the core policy challenges highlighted in the NHS 10-Year Plan and 2023 Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) Report to develop and implement evidence-based, integrated and generalisable models of care for older people that maximise independence and minimise duplication of services. Plans align with related government priorities of Neighbourhood Health, the Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework (MSF), and the Palliative and End of Life Care MSF.

Our Healthy Ageing workstream will identify strategies for personalised care that help prevent loss of independence among older people. The Frailty workstream will co-produce and drive the implementation of proactive, evidence-based models of health and social care for older people with frailty in primary care and community settings, including care homes, and building on existing eFI and eFI2 work.

A Dementia workstream will explore existing models of care and identify where pathways can be better integrated, simplified or aligned across health, social care and community services. A programme of research will explore how technology can support independence among people living with dementia and their carers.

Our Care Approaching End of Life workstream will focus on improving equity, access and quality of palliative and end-of-life care for older people, marginalised ethnic communities and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

Working with communities, health and care providers, policymakers and national collaborators, the Health and Care in our Ageing Society theme will generate evidence, practical tools and implementation learning to inform policy and service development regionally and nationally.

 

 

Health and Care in our Ageing Society Projects

Hearing Loss in Later Life Study: A qualitative investigation of the barriers and facilitators to managing hearing loss for older adults living with frailty

BackgroundHearing loss and frailty are both common in later life and can have a significant impact on wellbeing, independence and quality of life. Many older adults living with frailty also...

Wellbeing in Later Life in Bradford (WeLL-Bradford)

BackgroundWellbeing in later life is not experienced equally. Factors such as frailty, ethnicity, gender, income and social circumstances can combine to influence how well people age and the care and...

ACMICS: A hospital anticholinergic clinical decision support system

Designing and pilot testing an anticholinergic medication index clinical decision support system (ACMICS) for use in hospitals to support safer prescribing for older people at risk of medication-related harm. BackgroundAnticholinergic...

Making a Difference: Our Latest Health and Care in our Ageing Society case studies

Meet the Health and Care in our Ageing Society Team

Tom Crocker

Associate Professor of Stroke Care

Fliss Murtagh

Professor of Palliative Care

Fern Harvey

Knowledge Mobilisation Research Fellow

Our latest Health and Care in our Ageing Society publications

“I have no idea who does the bone thing” A qualitative exploration of older women and healthcare professionals’ experiences to guide improvements in osteoporosis care

Experiences of delivering reablement to home-dwelling older persons: an interview study of community-based nursing assistants

Developing the evidence and associated service models to improve pain management in older people living with frailty: a synopsis of the POPPY mixed method, co-design study