Reimagining collective forms of day care provision for older people

Day care services for older people in England are often seen as outdated and unattractive to potential users. Policy makers have consistently prioritised the importance of all social care services being personalised around the needs of individuals rather than providing services directly to groups of older people.

However, there is growing recognition that many older people would welcome the opportunity to attend day care services if they were available. In addition, there is increasing awareness that collective forms of day care have the potential to address the needs of some older people more appropriately, for example older people experiencing isolation or living with complex, multiple health conditions.

• Aims

  This study aimed to explore the current role, and potential role, of collective forms of day care for older people (65+) in England by

  1. Establishing trends and patterns over time in the provision and use of local authority funded collective forms of day care
  2. Determining the key predictors of use and frequency of use of day care services, and personal (subjective) wellbeing of users of day care services, over time
  3. Exploring innovative models of local authority funded provision by undertaking in-depth case studies in a sample of local authorities
  4. Identifying the strengths and weaknesses associated with these models of provision, including the impact they have on personal wellbeing outcomes, and identify the wider implications these have for policy and practice development
  5. Contributing to broader discussions about the role of local authority funded day care in meeting policy objectives across the social care and health sectors, including their role in the post COVID-19 social care landscape.

   

• Methods

  This mixed method study had two elements:

  • secondary data analysis of existing data sets
  • in-depth qualitative case studies of exemplar/ innovative day care services.

  The study focuses on collective day care services for adults aged 65+.

   

• Findings

  Read the findings report

  As this research was carried out with collective day care settings, many were re-opening following COVID-19 closures. This particular context distinctly illustrated the vital role these services play in the lives of many older people and carers, as well as their potential role in local social care and health landscapes.

  Older people and carers described the negative impacts of closures and relief at services re-opening. Local stakeholders and managers described the ways in which services had responded innovatively and worked together to identify and respond to changing needs and circumstances throughout the pandemic illustrating how collective day care settings were able to play a key role as experts in their members and their families, and trusted partners in community networks. Lessons from this period highlight the vital role of these services in the lives of older people and carers, as well as their potential role in local social care landscapes.

   

• Reports and publications

  Cameron, A. M., Bennett, L. L., Willis, P. B., Thorn, J. C., Patsios, D., West, K., Green, R., & Hankins, S. (2024). “I never thought I’d see the day that I would be doing things on Zoom”: Reimagining day care for older people and unpaid carers in the context of COVID-19. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2024(1), Article 2394065. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/2394065

  Bennett, L., Cameron, A., Patsios, D., Thorn, J., Willis, P., West, K. Davies, S. (2023). Reimagined day care for older people – supporting older people and caregivers to age in place. International Journal of Integrated Care, 23 (S1), 42. https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.ICIC23322

   

• Resources

  Infographic 

  Poster (presented at the Integrated Care Conference)

  End of project webinar slides

  British Society of Gerontology Annual Conference 2022 – slide deck 1 and slide deck 2

  Project website