There is limited evidence on how best health and social care services can work together in the community to support older people with advanced illness and deteriorating health as they move towards the end of life. The project addresses this gap and provides the basis for developing a new way of delivering healthcare to care home residents with advanced illness.
The new service combines palliative care (including hospice), primary care, social care, geriatrics and specialised nursing support. It puts patients at the centre of their care and delivers care in the place where the older person lives. It intends to prevent multiple unplanned and stressful hospital and emergency admissions. The project will identify what is required for a successful rollout of the service on a large scale. It will also demonstrate how the service’s cost-effectiveness can be evaluated.