Joining the dots: A blueprint for preventing and managing frailty in older people

Older people are the largest user group of health and social care services. When services work for older people, they are more likely to work for the rest of the population.

The population of the UK is ageing, with particularly fast growth in the oldest old age groups – by 2045, the number of people aged 85 and above will have almost doubled. It is therefore essential that commissioners place older people and their health and social care needs at the centre of strategic planning and commissioning processes. 

This document has been written by Professor Anne Hendry, BGS Honorary Secretary and Honorary Professor at the University of the West of Scotland, alongside an expert working group. Within it, we set out seven system touchpoints and outcomes that should be considered when planning and commissioning health and social care for older people, alongside 12 actions that systems should take to create the conditions for high-quality integrated care for older people. 

The blueprint is aimed primarily at system leaders and commissioners of health and social care services for older people. We hope that it will assist these senior decision-makers to understand and implement the core features of age-attuned integrated care for older people.

The separate chapters can also be viewed by clicking through the pages listed below.