Needs assessments carried out by social workers evaluate an elderly person's living conditions, independent living skills, financial situation, family support, and needs for services. This determines if they require domiciliary care at home, attendance at day centers which provide activities and meals, or placement in residential or nursing homes that provide 24-hour care, meals, activities, and assistance with daily tasks.

1. CARE OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

2. NEEDS ASSESSMENT
 Elderly people have the right to have their needs
assessed when they may be having difficulties
coping and looking after themselves.
 Carried out by a social worker during a home visit.
 Assess living conditions – housing and
environment, cleanliness
 Assess independent living skills – able to cook or
have adequate nutrition, standard of personal
hygiene, level of mobility
 Assess financial situation – enough income
 Assess family situation – any informal carers to
help

3.  Will ask questions of the client and family and also
use observation.
 May ask the client to perform simple tasks and
observe how well they can do these, e.g. Going
upstairs, making a cup of tea.
 Social worker can make recommendations of
services needed by the person.

4.  Access to needs assessment is by:
 Self referral – but more commonly third party via a
relative or friend who will contact social services
department
 Professional referral – for example, by a hospital social
worker when the patient is ready for discharge or GP or
district nurse

5. DOMICILIARY (HOME) CARE
 Care provided for clients in their own homes.
 Home care worker visits client once or twice a day
to help with tasks such as:
 Helping them get up and dressed in the morning or
undressed and go to bed at night
 May do some housework and prepare meals
 May do shopping
 Home care (domiciliary) care workers may provide
the client with social contact and stimulation as they
may be the only people the client sees during the
day.
 Access would be by recommendation from needs
assessment

6.  Advantage is that the elderly person can remain in
their own homes longer and maintain their
independence.

7. DAY CENTRES
 People can visit once or twice a week to spend the
day there.
 Transport may be provided there and back – often
by community transport scheme
 Activities provided such as crafts, singing and
reminiscence sessions, bingo, exercise sessions
and so on.
 Meals are provided and in some cases the client
may be assisted to have a bath or shower
 One member of staff will usually be a trained nurse
so will be able to monitor health.

8.  What physical and psychological life
quality factors can be provided by this
service?

9.  Day centres can be provided by local authorities
and voluntary organisations such as Age UK (used
to be Age Concern).
 Access to a day centre can be by:
 Self or third party referral – client or relative makes a
request for cay care
 May be professional recommendation by a social worker

10. RESIDENTIAL HOMES
 Provide:
 Long term accommodation for those elderly people who
are unable to live in their own homes
 24 hour care
 Residents have own bedroom with some personal
effects – usually have own toilet and bathroom attached
 Provide meals and laundry service
 Day rooms where residents can meet other residents,
watch TV or join in other activities

11.  Help is given as needed with:
 Bathing
 Toileting
 Getting dressed
 Going to bed
 Hairdressers. Chiropodists, GPS and opticians
sometimes provide services within the home
 Staff are usually health care assistants, and
sometimes there are qualified nurses on duty
 Staff usually give out medication though some
clients can do this for themselves

12.  Each room is provided with an alarm system so that
the client can call for assistance if required
 Rooms are personalised with small items of
furniture, photographs and so on
 Usually a family atmosphere and family members
are encouraged to visit. Birthdays are celebrated
 Some residential homes are provided by local
authorities but most are now privately run and
privately funded
 Some are run by voluntary, not-for-profit
organisations such as retired servicemen’s homes

13.  In all homes, some residents are supported by local
authority social service budgets whilst some people
pay all the fees themselves if they have more
money
 NURSING HOMES – provide all the services
provided by residential homes but they specialise in
residents who have greater health problems.
 Examples may be people who have had strokes or
who are severely disabled or who have terminal
illnesses.
 To provide there are more qualified nursing staff
employed

14.  Nursing homes charge higher fees than residential
homes to cover the cost of the more specialised
care provided.
 Access to residential and nursing homes depends
on who is paying the fees:
 For those people who pay their own fees access is by
applying directly to the home
 For those people who will be funded by social services,
access is by a needs assessment carried out by a social
worker.

15.  Summary of main types of service provision for
elderly people:
 Needs assessment
 Domiciliary care
 Day centres
 Residential care homes
 Nursing homes