Council to enhance community services for older people
The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee is to provide increased support to local communities, to help develop a range of adult learning and healthy living opportunities for older people.
The Committee has noted that the Council and NHS Highland’s strategy for older people seeks to maximise people’s independence, health and quality of life. The strategy emphasises the importance of local preventative services, which provide appropriate and timely support to people, as well as maintaining their health and social relationships. This enables people to live healthily at home for as long as possible.
Speaking to the Committee, Chief Operating Officer Bill Alexander stated that: “At a time of growing numbers of older people, this is a major initiative that needs to be underpinned by greater capacity within communities; this means supporting communities to be sustainable, and working with older people to create local opportunities for their ongoing learning, health and well-being.”
Mr Alexander added: “There are many willing volunteers, and there are also funding streams that can provide the necessary finance, but support is needed to help draft business plans, form committees and meet other organisational demands.”
Mr Alexander indicated that this represented best value at a time of budget challenges, as such community initiatives can help reduce the number of older people who might be admitted to hospitals and care homes.
Vice-Chair of the Council's Housing and Social Work Committee, Councillor Robbie Rowntree welcomed the development and said that it was important to develop services that older people had more control over. He said: “We need to engage with communities, and inform them about what is possible. It is helpful to have an officer who can do that local work, and assist local groups to get established and be sustainable. There is a great will to do that across the Highlands, and as a Council we must be prepared to support local groups to take control of local budgets and deliver services”. He added that this approach was already proving beneficial in a number of areas across the Highlands.
The Committee agreed to use funding from across the Council and with support from NHS Highland, to fund three local officers on a temporary basis. The posts will be reviewed after a year, to ensure that they are being effective in the development of local activities, and supporting people who might otherwise require admission to hospital or care homes.