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Following the UKMC meeting in mid-July, I am pleased to report that we have agreed two priority areas for our communications activity over the next year.

Firstly, we will be raising awareness of the health needs of care home residents and seeking to improve their access to health care services. Secondly, we will be focusing on promoting healthy ageing and drawing attention to preventative measures which may result in better health in old age.

It is important that we do not duplicate the work of other organisations, but rather that we bring our expertise to bear in planned campaigns to improve the medical care received by care home residents and to encourage healthy ageing for all. To this end, I have embarked on an audit to assess the activities of other professional and voluntary sector organisations and to identify opportunities to contribute to their work.

Care Homes
It is clear that there is great scope for partnership working whilst retaining an ability to shape the agenda and develop our own campaigns. We are continuing to build on the interest sparked by the Care Home Medicine conference, organised by Peter Crome, which took place at the Royal College of Physicians at the end of June. We have been in contact with non-members who attended the event and some have asked to join the Primary and Continuing Care SIG and others to be kept informed about and involved with our work regarding care homes. Several specialist magazines aimed at care home managers and staff were interested in developing features about topics covered on the day and I have arranged interviews with relevant experts. David Stott has been interviewed about influenza in care homes and Ian Donald has been interviewed about the role of care homes in today’s society.

CQC
We are assisting the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as it reviews care home residents’ access to health care services and we are meeting the RCGP to discuss how geriatricians and GPs can work together in care home settings. John Gladman is being interviewed by the Health Service Journal to share some positive examples of GPs and geriatricians working together in care homes.

BGS Dignity Campaign
The next phase of the BGS dignity campaign is underway, with Jackie Morris chairing a multidisciplinary group which is expanding the standards developed as part of the ‘Behind Closed Doors’ campaign. The emphasis is on encouraging professionals in hospital and care home settings to get to know those in their care and, after understanding their normal routine, empowering them to maintain it as much as possible. The English Community Care Association and the Relatives and Residents Association will be joining this group.

Delivering a Message on Healthy Ageing
We are holding a public open morning on 24 April 2010 as part of next year’s Spring Meeting in Edinburgh. This presents an exciting opportunity to deliver some important healthy ageing messages and to engage with the general public and voluntary sector organisations to discuss concerns about ageing and issues related to independent living and caring. Some of the findings from the day may inform future research projects.

Big Care Debate
Finally, the BGS is taking part in the ‘Big Care Debate’ as it considers its response to the Social Care Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Care Together. We are attending events and discussions to communicate the importance of ensuring adequate funding for integrated care pathways which take account of older people’s health, social and housing needs.

Recent media coverage and copies of BGS press releases and statements can be viewed on the BGS website (www.bgs.org.uk / select Press Releases/Statements) There is also a coverage folder available for viewing at Marjory Warren House, so please don’t hesitate to ask me if you would like to look at it when you are visiting us.

Iona-Jane Harris
BGS Press, PR and Parliamentary Affairs Officer

BGS Newsletter, September 2009
Issue 23 ISSN 1748-634000 23