Frail older people's experiences and use of health and social care services

Aims: To highlight older people's experiences and expectations of services and the consequences for service provision, service development and research. Rationale: A large amount of resources have been invested in providing services for frail older people who experienced multiple hospital admissions. However, their own views are under-reported. Method: Semi-structured interviews with frail older people were conducted in four Scottish Health Board areas to explore the context of emergency admissions and the use of extramural services. Outcomes: Frail older people are high users of services but claim that services are not responsive to their main concerns: meeting individual needs, maximizing independence and helping to live fulfilled lives. Services not catering for these needs are often cancelled or left in abeyance. Conclusion: The same people who are targeted by care services are reluctant to engage with them. Care providers need to adopt older people's priorities to provide them with responsive patient-centred care. © 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd