Social care professionals from across Europe are flocking to Paisley to learn about how Renfrewshire cares for older people.Renfrewshire has been identified as a centre of excellence and is staging a seminar on ‘developing services as we grow older’ as part of the 2015 International Federation of Social Work conference.
Some 60 conference delegates are expected to attend the seminar from as far afield as Finland and Iceland. The main sessions of the three-day conference are being held in Edinburgh.
The aim of the conference is to bring together social workers from the fields of intervention and professional practice, policy making and research. It also provides an opportunity for social workers to share their experiences, common problems and strategies at a European level.
Councillor Iain McMillan, Convener of the Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership, said, “Renfrewshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board have produced a 10 year plan to cope with the challenges presented by an aging population with increasingly complex health needs.
“The plan is driving forward significant changes in the way we provide services. These changes will enable older people to live, safely and independently, in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
“This visit highlights that the work we are doing here in Renfrewshire is at the cutting edge. Our work is becoming a template for other countries which are facing the same kind of challenges as us. It is very gratifying to receive this recognition from the professional international community.”
Renfrewshire’s approach includes: a reablement service to help people regain physical and personal skills lost due to illness or age; telecare services which use high-technology to monitor and protect older and vulnerable people and the Renfrewshire Development Programme (RDP).
The RDP helps ensure people only go to Accident & Emergency if they need to and that people aren’t admitted to hospital if they are okay to go home. The RDP also makes sure that when people are ready to leave hospital, the right help and support is put in place so that their discharge isn’t delayed.