Long-stay care: A scheme which aims to help older people in long-stay residential care stay healthy and maintain their zest for life has been welcomed by Age Action Ireland.
Guidelines on healthy ageing, launched by Mr Tim O'Malley, Minister of State at the Department of Health, contain 10 steps on the care of older people in residential care.
They aim to keep people healthy, maintain their interest and help them to continue as active members of the community as far as possible.
Mr Paul Murray, Age Action spokesman, said it very much welcomed the new scheme.
"For far too long older people in residential care facilities particularly have been left without stimulation or an opportunity to become actively involved in their long-stay settings," he said.
There were good examples of units for older people where they were encouraged to be involved and to have a say in the running of their units, Mr Murray said.
A particularly good example was the old person's care unit in the old Meath Hospital in Dublin. The residents there contributed significantly to the policy and running of their unit, he said.
Older people needed space, independence and opportunities for an expansive lifestyle, Mr Murray added.
The primary goals of the initiative are:
To support residential care facilities in realising and acting upon their health-promoting capacity.
To assist residential care facilities to adopt a health promotion aspect to their daily work.
To achieve the goals through supporting facilities in completion of the "10 Steps to Healthy Ageing".
The 10 steps are outlined under a series of questions in a questionnaire for all facilities.
The questionnaire covers themes affecting the daily life of residents.
They include consultation; a healthy ageing policy and how it is practised; the level of choice offered in various aspects of daily living; information practices; personal space and belongings; independence.
It also has questions on lifestyle covering regular community involvement; learning opportunities; physical exercise; staff; family, friendly matters; and facilities for visiting.
The setting up of patient interest groups in residential facilities to give residents a voice and a survey of residents to determine their five priority areas is encouraged in the initiative.
It is also hoped that structures will be introduced to make it the norm for patients to become actively involved in their care and safeguard the individual.
Examples of initiatives already under way in some facilities are given as arts in residential care settings, holiday schemes, a wide range of interests such as dancing, varied weekly activities, music and physical exercise.
The guidelines have been developed through the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the Health Promoting Hospitals Network in Ireland.
The Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare is supporting evaluation of the initiative and assessment of how it will contribute to healthy ageing in the residential setting.
A national co-ordinator is being appointed to work with all relevant local and regional professionals.