187 Capturing the Providers of Services to Older Persons - An Exercise in Integration of Care (Age and Ageing)

AbstractBackgroundThere is much focus on the dearth of resources within healthcare systems, with a focus on health services. In 2018, we held a speed networking event for two local areas of a HSE Community Healthcare Organisation. This highlighted the vast array of supports available to assist older people to live well. This, alongside a Listening to Older Person`s Workshop, highlighted the need for a local directory of services.MethodsIn considering potential networking attendees, a social determinants of health approach (Dahlgren and Whitehead, 1991) was adopted to scope all supports available across community, acute, voluntary and statutory health and social care services within the area. This was expanded on further to develop the directory.ResultsThe directory provides details of 358 organisations, individuals and groups available to support older persons within a catchment area with a population of 13,833 older persons (CSO Census, 2016). Hospital services comprised 27 of these while community HSE and GP health services made up 130. The remaining 201 were local and national NGOs and community groups ranging in service provision, a sample of which as follows: 39 provided some level of social/education engagement, three befriending, 18 counselling, five housing specific, 11 substance dependency, 12 provided supports to persons impacted by abuse. A further 20 national NGOs provided a local service or helpline with a focus on a particular health diagnosis.ConclusionThis exercise shows the vast number of services available within just one small region, to support older persons to live well at home. The directory has been approved as a template for other networks in the CHO. It is being adapted into an online version by an interagency group. Using this template nationally has the potential to overcome gaps in health service resources, and support true integration, in line with the ICPOP (2016) 10 step framework.