- The Year of Care Pilot Programme
- The policy context
- Why Year of Care? The case for change
- What works for LTCs
- Care planning - what is it?
- The benefits
- The care planning training support programme
- Information technology
- Commissioning and Year of Care
- About us - Year of Care Partnerships
- Contacts
- Year of Care resources
- References
- Year of care forum
- Year of care document library
Ask a question
If there's something you'd like no know and you can't find it on our website please fill in the short form below and we'll get back to you. We aim to respond to questions within 5 working days.
Name:*
Job title:
Organisation:
Email:*
Telephone:
Question:*
Please tick this box if you do not want to
receive our Newsletter
* Required fields
The team does not and cannot offer clinical advice. If you have any urgent medical enquiries we urge you to contact your GP, or NHS Direct at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or by calling 0845 4647. In an emergency call 999
Care Planning - Inequalities and diversity
The care and outcome of people with long term conditions (LTCs) for disadvantaged communities and backgrounds is worse than that from more advanced populations. The Year of Care Care pilot sites were chosen because they included a spread of socio economic indicators particularly areas with significant diverse, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
Initially there were strongly held concerns that care planning might not be suitable for all. By the end of the third year of the project (Link to page 83 para B) there was a wealth of evidence that the approaches taken in Tower Hamlets had enabled people with Type 2 diabetes from the Bengali community to engage in their health and healthcare.
When the Tower Hamlet diabetes community was asked if they had had ‘about the right amount of involvement in care’ the percentage who answered ‘yes’ rose from 58% in 2006 to 82% in 2009
Many of those interviewed said they felt more involved in their consultations and that being able to discuss things with the healthcare professional helped them to have more awareness of their condition and what they could do to improve their health.
"YOC is a great idea because it is focussed around the individual. I’m happy that I get more of a say in my care. (Person with diabetes from Bengali community)
This success did not come easily or automatically. There was active involvement of the local communities and specially designed interventions to involve individuals in the care planning process.
The Year of Care programme has shown that the extra resource needed to engage disadvantaged communities can really make a difference if targeted to support people to participate in their own care.
A major concern must be for people with similar issues of literacy and understanding living in smaller communities within a large white population.
