The Role of Day Care in the Provision of Integrated Services for Older People

TL;DR

This paper explores how day care services can support integrated care for older people in England by acting as community hubs for health and wellbeing.

Contribution

The paper redefines day care as a key facilitator of integrated care and highlights strategies used by voluntary sector organizations to overcome funding challenges.

Findings

Day care services serve as both a site and facilitator for integrated care for older people.

Voluntary sector day care services have developed strategies to manage funding and operational challenges.

Collective day care models can enhance local, place-based integrated care for older people in England.

Abstract

Day care services have a long history in the support of older people, both internationally and in England. However, despite their longevity there is no consensus about the aims of day care services and their contribution to integrated care is unrecognised. This paper defines day care as community building-based services that provide care and/or health related services and/or clubs and activities specifically for older people (65+) with care and support needs, which support wellbeing and health, and/or support people to remain living at home and/or enable informal carers to sustain care.

The paper draws on qualitative data collected in a national study to reimagine day care services for older people in England. Eight sites participated, all from the voluntary sector.

Day care services act as both a site of, and facilitator to, integrated care and whilst settings experienced many of the challenges faced by voluntary sector organisations, including a reliance on limited and uncertain funding, they had developed a range of strategies to partially manage them.

Collective forms of day care services have the potential to play a more significant role in the provision of local place based integrated care in England.