Benefits Of Early Intervention For Older People

The benefits and cost savings of early intervention in social care services for older people will be explored at a Counsel and Care conference on 16 November in central London. Delegates at this national conference will discuss the current policy landscape which places emphasis on the development of community, early intervention and low level preventative services. The conference comes at an important time for older people’s services, with the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review just around the corner and a recent Health and Social Care White Paper which set the direction of travel for community health and social care services.

Central Government as well as local authorities are looking more closely at the savings that can be made in social care services, considering the most cost effective way support can be delivered. Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss how early intervention can be costed and implemented so that older people are supported by these services.

Social care Minister Ivan Lewis will address the conference, along with Dr Julien Forder from the LSE, Melinda Philips from Housing 21, and Professor Naina Patel from PRIAE.

Stephen Burke, Chief Executive of Counsel and Care said: “With increasing pressure on budgets, social services departments are cutting low level services, instead focusing support on those with the highest levels of need. I’m looking forward to the opportunity for debate about these issues – we need to come up with some ways we can push forward on the prevention agenda, in an affordable and sustainable way.

“This is not optional, and we know that cutting back on these services means that older people come back to councils with higher and more expensive needs at a later date. It is in the best interests of councils to maintain these low level services which are essential to maintain older people’s dignity and independence.”