A service that helps vulnerable people in Bath to maintain or regain independence and remain living at home is now available to more people and is set to achieve even better outcomes.
The re-ablement team, commissioned by Bath & North East Somerset Council, working closely with NHS B&NES Clinical Commissioning Group, is provided by not-for-profit social enterprise, Sirona Care & Health, and local domiciliary care partners.
The service helps vulnerable adults to maintain or regain their independence by providing intensive health and social care support after illness or a stay in hospital, especially older people and those with a long-term health condition.
By being even more responsive and available to more people, this service will help to improve health and wellbeing outcomes for more people in Bath and North East Somerset.
Cllr Simon Allen, Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, said: “This is about us changing the way we do things to be more responsive than ever before to people’s care and support needs, enabling them to maintain or regain their independence and live in their own home.
“It’s about health and social care colleagues working together to identify people who need support at an early stage, and supporting them to stay well. We think this approach will bring huge benefits to many people.”
Dr Ian Orpen, Chair of BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The CCG is really pleased to be working alongside our key partners, Bath & North East Somerset Council and Sirona, to deliver this improvement for patients.
“It is vital that we reconfigure NHS services to deliver more care at home and in the community so that we can empower patients to live healthy, independent lives for as long as possible and keep them out of hospital.”
Helen Mee, Sirona’s Head of Adult Services, said: “Sirona’s ethos is that services should be tailor-made for each individual person and this service reflects that.
“The re-ablement team will work with you to ensure you are able to achieve the goals you have identified to manage your independence; we know that the best place for you is to be at home and as independent for as long as possible.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council has put together support funding to ensure the short-term, intensive service will be free. Usually, people receiving social care of this type make a financial contribution if they have the means to do so.
Other changes being introduced will bring a shift in focus and resources to the ‘front end’ of adult social care services with more emphasis on prevention and early intervention.
A new ‘ASIST’ (Advice, Signposting, Information and Safeguarding) team will provide tailored information and advice about local care and support services to anyone who contacts the team during weekday office hours.
The ASIST team will also signpost people to other support services for the community. Typically, these might include a range of voluntary, community and housing-related support services and helpful technology such as community alarms and equipment to help in the home.
For those with the most complex needs, there will be an in-depth assessment, which will help put together a package of care and support that will be regularly reviewed to make sure it is working.