Engaging faith communities in ‘Reshaping Care for Older People’

Engaging faith communities in ‘Reshaping Care for Older People’

It is clear that faith communities make a significant contribution to the care and support of older people but the awareness of the Scottish Government policy relating to older people and perhaps the integration of health and social care has not been so strong.  However, our discussions with different communities indicated that for some there was an interest in being invited to participate in local planning and at the very least to know what was going on.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 puts in place the legislative framework to integrate health and social care services in Scotland which includes establishing at least two localities in each authority area.

The aim is to ensure that there is more opportunity for communities and professionals to take an active role in the planning of local service provision.  It is emphasised that every locality will involve a range of people from different backgrounds who are accustomed to different working styles and arrangements.  

Faith Communities provide a wide range of services and support very vulnerable older people as well as others through the age spectrum.  Sometimes it is assumed that faith communities are included in the voluntary sector but often this is not the case.  The question is should they be or should they have a more specific identity.  Clearly the important issue is to ensure that they are recognised and included in discussions as appropriate and that there is a clear awareness of the care and support that they provide which enhances the provision in a local area.  Each congregation or community is unique if what it offers.

The Scottish Government and the Joint Improvement Team have recently published guidance on localities in relation to integration.   

The links for the documents are:

Scottish Government Localities Guidance www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/07/5055

Joint Improvement Team - Implementation of Locality Arrangements – checklist  http://www.jitscotland.org.uk/news/implementation-of-locality-arrangements/16thJUne-2015.pdf

Maureen O’Neill

July 2015

Past and Future

Past and Future

Recently I had the privilege of attending the award ceremony for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.  Doctors from twenty countries were receiving awards.  They were representative of different societies and faiths brought together because of their common aim to serve humanity.

The ceremony linked the past to our present and future by considering the achievements of those who have gone before us which provided the stepping stones to what we can achieve today in relation to health care.  It brought together different generations.  Most importantly the need for compassion, to listen, to see people as individuals were all emphasised.  Advances in techniques and technology are not substitutes for kindliness which must be inherent in all care.

These are values we must espouse in delivering care wherever it is given or received remembering that we are first a person and then symptoms and frailty.

Maureen O'Neill

July 2015