Standards of care for older people in hospital launched in Scotland

Standards to improve the care of older people in hospital and strengthen the involvement of patients and carers in decisions about their treatment have been published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The new standards have a strong emphasis on person-centred care and on giving older people the opportunity to say what is important to them when they are cared for in hospital, treating them with dignity and respect, and involving them in decisions about their care.

Other standards cover the management of frailty, assessment of cognitive function, effective discharge planning, as well as a standard to ensure that older people are cared for in the right place at the right time.

The standards have been published on behalf of NHS Scotland to update those created in 2002 and to provide a greater focus on initial assessment on admission and more complex aspects of care.

Each standard includes a statement of the level of performance that NHS boards are expected to achieve. The revised standards will be used to support future hospital inspections involving the care of older people carried out by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Director of evidence for Healthcare Improvement Scotland Sara Twaddle said: ‘These standards demonstrate the importance of getting care for older people in hospital right and our organisation’s commitment to driving improvements in this area. They complement our ongoing programme of inspections for older people in hospital, and our national improvement programme focused on delirium and the identification and management of frailty.’

Click here to read the Care of Older People in Hospital Standards