10th Annual Care of Older People in Scotland Conference: Delivering care during adversity

Tuesday 28th November 2023

This conference – the 10th annual care of older people in Scotland conference – focuses on the core challenges facing us now in care delivery for older people.  We want everyone to have the best health and care possible in older age.  However, we are getting older and living longer in larger numbers – so the costs of care are rising remorselessly.  At the same time the economic outlook is weak and public finances are under severe pressure. In this context how do we fund care excellence?  How do we best structure services and scrutiny?  What are the core elements of best practice that we should be trying to achieve in contemporary care of older people?

This agenda examines the care of older people in a time of staffing and funding challenge.  It asks how we empower older people and value the care workers supporting them.  It looks at what we need to do to get it right on frailty and pharmacy to drive up quality of life for older people.  It is intended for all people and organisations involved in the care of older people in Scotland.

The fastest growing age group in Scotland is projected to be those aged 75 and over, increasing by 79% in the 25 years leading up to 2041.  Life expectancy has risen and the likelihood of death before 65 has reduced.  While health and social care spending on over 65s with at least one long-term condition is rising, is the efficiency of service provision for older people working well?  Care delivery for older people takes place in a wide variety of settings. In hospitals and institutions delivering episodic care, older people tend to be admitted to acute settings, often for longer periods than medically required.  Statistics show that older people living alone – often in accommodation unsuited to their care needs – is helping to drive the smaller households' trend. 

The challenge then is to deliver the right care, in the right setting with care givers who are well trained and well versed in best practice.  We need to both meet future health and care demands and balance immediate needs with the challenge of a long-term preventative approach to older people’s health.  How should we innovate to adopt and share best practice?  What fresh challenges are emerging to be met?

The conference explores where we stand in trying to secure the best care for older people.  It discusses how we deliver consistent and high quality care for our ageing population.  Speakers will focus on care standards and provision, the empowerment of older people and managing change while fostering innovation.  Can we ensure best practice drives decision making?  How do we prepare care services and workers to meet immediate needs while pursuing a long-term preventative approach to older people’s health?

Benefits of attending

• Discuss how we can deliver the best culture of care for older people
• Explore the range of challenges facing older people care
• Assess Health and Social Care Strategy for older people
• Examine how regulation and scrutiny drives improvement
• Learn how empowering older people drives delivery of quality care
• Hear the care provider's perspective on meeting higher care standards amid rising cost and demand
• Find out how the right approaches to frailty and pharmacy can transform care
• Consider the need to retain and resource care workers as the frontline of care
• Reflect upon what a rights based approach to care of older people looks like in everyday practice

Who should attend

This conference will be relevant for anyone involved in the care and support of older people in Scotland in home, medical, residential, care and other settings. This includes:

• healthcare professionals, social work and other care staff
• providers of residential and home support care services
• lawyers, advisory and other organisations engaged with the personal, rights or financial interests of older people
• rights advisors
• service managers in public, private and third sector care delivery organisations
• regulatory bodies
• anyone with responsibility for understanding and shaping policy and practice in bodies which deliver care of older people

Speakers

Maree Allison

Acting CEO

Scottish Social Services Council