[The role of health care reporting for the planning of long-term care at the community level].
A key element in the demographic transition process is the increase in the number of very old people (80+) leading to a rising need for long-term care. For the municipalities the efficient organisation of the local support for senior citizens is an important task for legal, political and financial reasons. The local planning process must be based on systematic reporting about long-term care in the community. This report must contain fundamental facts about the demographic situation, the health care system, including the quality of care in nursing homes, by ambulatory services and families as well as the resulting costs in the local welfare budget. Comparing the problem to the methods in local health promotion it is favourable to establish an office to manage the planning process and a committee for matters of care. Committee members should be all relevant stakeholders of the local health, the care and the social sector. The first priority is to achieve the participation of patients, their relatives and the local politicians to agree on targets and measures in the planning process. Key targets are the prevention of risks for long-term care, to secure the quality of care and the preference for ambulatory services, optimisation of local cooperation and minimising the costs for the community. The whole process should be guided by these targets for the provision of care.
Boschek
H J
HJ
Fachbereich Gesundheit Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, Hauptstrasse 92, 58332 Schwelm. h.boschek@en-kreis
D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005858:Germany; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D016730:Program Development; D011787:Quality of Health Care