Rise in admissions to care homes

DELAYS in setting up mental health services for older people in Warrington have resulted in an “unsustainable” rise in the number of admissions to care homes for the elderly mentally infirm, councillors have been told.
As a result a new action plan has been agreed between the borough council, Warrington Primary Care Trust and the 5 Boroughs Partnership Trust.
This contains further service improvements in older people’s mental health services as part of the overall Older People’s Mental Health Strategy.
Crucially they include a local response to the soon to be published National Dementia Strategy – and all key actions are timetabled to have been completed by December.
Agreement was reached between the council, PCT and 5BPT a year ago on an Older People’s Mental Health Strategy (OPMH).
The PCT made an additional £400,000 to 5BPT to implement an agreed action plan.
This was to establish two integrated Community Mental Health Teams for older people, including nurse liaison posts in care homes and Warrington Hospital.
A report to the borough council’s scrutiny health committee says good progress was made by April this year in appointing key staff, agreeing key operation policies and setting up a revised action plan.
Since then, however there have been “significant delays” in establishing the community mental health teams who have the key role of enabling more older people to be supported at home.
“The impact on the council has been a continued unsustainable rise in the number of older people who have therefore been admitted to care homes for the elderly mentally infirm.”
Councillors have been assured the new, more specific action plan has been agreed with tight timescales for delivery.
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