-Specialist Services and Older People

In a study funded by the Department of Health, Northumbria University is inviting those who manage services for older people to take part in the study, which aims to analyse the range and scope of multidisciplinary specialist roles and teams for older people in England, and to analyse the impact of specialist practice on services and on service users.

The NSF for Older People (DoH, 2001) emphasises multidisciplinary services for older people. Therefore, the developing workforce has changed, with specialist posts and services being created, and having been played out in different ways across professional groups and service provision.

The study involves two stages. The first is to conduct a national survey of specialist service provision for older people (web link below). This will inform the second stage of the study, a selection of six case study sites which will enable a specific focus on specialist nursing services and will involve a range of stakeholder and service user interviews. The case studies will use nursing as an example of specialist development, from which multidisciplinary lessons can be learned.

If you manage services for Older People and would like to take part in this study, please complete the survey at http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/faculties/hswe/ssops.htm
Or for more information visit http://online.northumbria.ac.uk/faculties/hswe/research/nmahp/home.htm
Alternatively, contact Pamela.inglis@unn.ac.uk
or margaret2.cook@unn.ac.uk

Participants will be asked to give an indication of their willingness, in principle, to be involved as a case study site. Involvement will be negotiated with participants to ensure that it fits with the site characteristics.