Scottish Government

Title

Percentage of people aged 65 and over with high levels of care needs who are cared for at home.

TitleNational Indicator/Target

Increase the percentage of people aged 65 and over with high levels of care needs who are cared for at home.

Brief Description

Indicator reflects the priority of shifting the balance of care from acute to community and home settings where possible and appropriate.

Strategic Objective(s) to Which Indicator Relates

This indicator informs progress in relation to the Healthier and the Safer and Stronger Strategic Objectives.

More Detailed Definitions

Definitions of Keywords

People aged 65+ with high levels of care needs is defined as people aged 65+ who are:

• Receiving 10+ hours of home care (purchased or provided by a local authority)
• Resident in a Care Home
• Resident long-term in hospital ( NHS)

Evidence Source

Data sources:-

Care Homes: Scottish Government: Community Care Statistics: Scottish Care Homes Census ( SCHC)

Home Care: Scottish Government Community Care Statistics: H1 Home Care return

Hospital:ISD Scotland: SMR50 (until 2006), ISD(S)1 (until 2008), Balance of Care/Continuing Care Census (from 2008)

Indicator reflects the priority of shifting the balance of care from acute to community and home settings where possible and appropriate.

This measure is a proxy for a more substantial balance of care measure. In time, balance of care should embrace not only shifts in older people's services, but also other care groups receiving community care and in acute services from hospitals to the community (on which work is in hand).

In future, we expect the IoRN (Indicator of Relative Need) to be used to determine a more accurate count of the number of people with high levels of need in all settings.

Baseline and Past Trends

The baseline year was 2006/2007 (year ending 31st March). The proportion of people receiving intensive home care as a proportion of all older people receiving long term care was 30.5% in 2006/2007.

Methodology for data source

Numerator:

Number of people aged 65+ receiving 10+ hours of home care

Denominator:

= Number of people aged 65+ receiving 10+ hours of home care

+ Number of people aged 65+ resident in Care Homes for older people

+ Number of long-stay residents aged 65+ in hospital

The methodology has been changed for data from 2007/08 onwards due to introduction of Balance of Care/Continuing Care Census in September 2008 following the revision of the Scottish Government's formal guidance on NHS continuing health care. The census for the first time, provides a method of identifying all patients who are receiving NHS care that is on-going non-acute care, delivered as an inpatient and often over an extended period. Previously this was estimated from SMR50 or SMR01 records.

Data Ownership and Quality Assurance

Care Homes: Scottish Government Community Care Statistics: Quarterly Key Monitoring Survey: Official Statistics

Home Care: Scottish Government Community Care Statistics: Home Care return. National Statistics.

Hospital:ISD Scotland: SMR50 (until 2006), ISD(S)1 (until 2008), National Statistics. ISD Scotland: Balance of Care/Continuing Care Census (from 2008), Official Statistics.

Publication of Data

Care Homes: Number of people resident in Care Homes for Older People is published each year in Care Homes publication:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/Publications

Home Care: Number of people receiving 10+ hours of home care (purchased of provided by a local authority is published each year in Home Care Services publication:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Health/Publications

Hospital: Hospital statistics are available from ISD Scotland: www.isdscotland.org

Methodology for Recent Change Arrow on Scotland Performs

This evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 0.5 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 0.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 0.5 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.