Care management for older people with mental health problems: from evidence to practice.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the implications of providing intensive care management in a typical old age mental health service in North West England.


METHODS
The time spent by core groups of specialist mental health and social services staff on a range of activities deemed central to the provision of intensive care management was explored by means of a diary exercise. The difference between what is actually being done and what evidence suggests is needed was examined.


RESULTS
More than 1500 hours of activity were appraised. Assessment and care management-related tasks accounted for more than 40% and 30% of social work and nursing staff's time, respectively. However, several fundamental features of intensive care management were lacking, including health staff's adoption of the care manager role, arrangements to facilitate appropriate information sharing and sufficient time for practitioners to provide the necessary careful assessment of needs, liaison with other agencies, and close and regular contact with the elderly person and their care network.
Tucker
Sue
S
Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Hughes
Jane
J
Sutcliffe
Caroline
C
Challis
David
D
D000368:Aged; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D019468:Disease Management; D004739:England; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team