Reactive care home services are becoming a thing of the past. As we move forward in time, the “one size fits all” approach to care home services to residents is quickly fading into the distance. A more proactive approach to care has made its way to the forefront, and this is nothing but a positive change for care home residents. In particular, the enhanced health framework is designed to specifically improve the health and experiences of residents of care homes. Pharmacy To My Door is your care home pharmacy in Bloxham and Stratford Upon Avon.
What is the need for the Enhanced Health Framework?
Many of the residents in care homes have more complex health needs than the general population. Whether your care home is for elderly adults or disabled adults, these people with generally more complex health needs tend to have experiences of health care of varying qualities. Often, primary care services proffered to care homes are reactive with very little continuity. This can result in poor optimisation of medications, increased frequent unplanned visits to hospitals and in fact, elderly care home residents experience hospital admissions at a rate greater than 40-50% higher than the general population over the age of 75.
Often, a single care home will have residents with multiple GPs, which can make it very difficult for care home staff to gain access to medical advice in a timely fashion as well as to proactively manage risks for residents.
What is the practical effect of Enhanced Health in care homes?
Enhanced Health Framework seeks to streamline healthcare for care home residents. After a pilot program in several trusts throughout the UK, the impact of the new service on care home residents and staff was notable. Feedback from staff included:
- Improved access to GP’s resulting in:
- Clinical advice for triaging and ongoing learning support
- Improved care quality
- Improved/changed approaches to risk sharing
- Medicines optimisation
- Better medicines reviews
- Deleting of unnecessary prescriptions
- Enabled quicker access to medicines
- Reductions in polypharmacy (concurrent use of multiple medications by patient)
- Less waste
Ultimately, the Enhanced Health framework is a step in the right direction to improve both care home resident experience and staff confidence and efficiency. With a streamlined, better informed network in place that works together to the benefit of your residents, it can only be a win-win. Pharmacy To My Door partners with care homes and becomes a member of your team in order to provide the most impact on medications optimisation and to decrease some of the burden for you.
Choosing Pharmacy to My Door as your care home pharmacy in Bloxham and Stratford Upon Avon is a great choice for your care home. We have caring, professional, discreet and patient staff on call waiting to assist you to meet your care home goals and your care home resident needs. Call us because we care.
