Cross-boundary working: a generic worker for older people in the community.
The care of older people often crosses the boundaries of health and social care. The new role of a health and social care trained generic worker was developed to provide comprehensive care for older people living at home. The role is a cross between a nursing auxiliary, health care assistant and a community support worker. The evaluation of the one-year pilot project demonstrated that clients were very satisfied with the care they received, particularly the emotional aspects of care. A high proportion of the generic workers time was spent listening and responding to their clients' mental health needs, and providing comfort and emotional support. Having been trained by local health professionals, the generic workers felt valued and respected, better able to communicate with their health colleagues, and therefore able to provide holistic care to their clients.
Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of The West of England, Bristol. Gill.Hek@uwe.ac.uk
Gill
G
Hek
Lorna
L
Singer
Pat
P
Taylor
D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D004739:England; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009728:Nursing Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012947:Social Work / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*