A sensitive change process

Commissioner for Older People Claire Keatinge outlines some of the lessons learned from the handling of care home closures.

More of us are living longer and healthier lives and this is very good news. The number of older people in Northern Ireland will increase by almost 65 per cent in the next thirty years, and so we need to ensure that our services are equipped to the deal with the changing profile of the population.

We are currently seeing significant change across the delivery of health and social services in Northern Ireland through the implementation of Transforming Your Care. It favours a move away from residential-based care to care in the home to reflect the needs of a growing and ageing population.

Whilst this proposal seems to make sense, last year we saw what happened when process was put before people, with the threat of closure of over 50 per cent of statutory residential care homes. This caused huge fear and anxiety amongst those living in the homes under threat as they had not been properly consulted with. It is clear that much has been learned from last year with the much improved ‘Making Choices’ consultation. However, we must now see words translate into actions.

In order to get this process right, it is essential that current residents’ views are at the heart of any decisions made on the future of their homes. It must be understood that the reason for change on this occasion is not a change of needs for older people but a proposed change in government policy. Government must therefore ensure that the needs and opinions of older people who will be affected lead the process, rather than a process which is dictated by the needs of the trusts. Residents must not be pawns in the endgame of changing services for older people.

And this means that they must be properly consulted with. Older people living in statutory residential homes must be allowed to express what matters most to them in any proposed move, and their care needs must be adequately addressed to ensure that they receive the same, if not better, level of care.

It also means that they must be allowed to continue to participate as fully as they can or want in social, community or civic life, and so must be accommodated within their own locality.

Further to this, they must be allowed to remain within friendship groups if they wish, and so provision must be made to allow groups of older people to move together.

Many older people have expressed concern that they may be required to pay more to live in their new home but this must not be the case – and I have sought assurances from the Minister for Health that any extra costs would be absorbed by the state.

However, whilst it is essential that current residents are prioritised, it is important that future policy is not based solely on current need.

Government must ensure that it is not only equipped to deal with the needs of an ageing population but that it offers choice and flexibility, and enables older people to live a dignified and fulfilled life.

Older people, now and in the future, must be assured that there will always be sufficient capacity of residential care available to meet the needs of those who require it.

The challenge now is to ensure that a new set of guidelines are developed for any proposed closure of statutory homes which put people at the heart of planning for the future, and which respond to the changing needs of an ageing population.

Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland

Equality House

7-9 Shaftesbury Square

Belfast, BT2 7DP

Tel: 028 9089 0892

Email: info@copni.org

Web: www.copni.org