A new care service for older adults in the UK could reduce emergency hospital admissions by more than 33%, according to a study by researchers at University College London (UCL).
Published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, the results suggest that personalised home-based support could improve wellbeing while also significantly reducing costs for the National Health Service (NHS).
The clinical trial was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and carried out in partnership with Age UK, which contributed to delivering the care service.
It involved 388 participants aged older than 65 years from London, Hertfordshire and Yorkshire who were identified as having mild frailty.
These adults were divided into two groups, with 195 receiving the new service and 193 continuing with their usual care without any additional support.
The service included six home visits from a support worker to help with exercise, nutrition, mental wellbeing and social connections.
Over the course of a year, those who received the tailored support experienced a 35% reduction in unplanned hospital admissions, equating to an average saving of £586 ($740.27) for each person for the NHS.
UCL Epidemiology & Health Care lead author professor Kate Walters said: “We found that by providing personalised home-based support to those in need, we can significantly reduce emergency hospital admissions and potentially free up hospital resources.
“Our study demonstrates the impact of tailored interventions on maintaining independence and improving overall wellbeing.”
While the service did not improve levels of independence in self-care, it did lead to small enhancements in participants' wellbeing, psychological distress and frailty scores.
The results support UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting's stated commitment to reducing hospital pressures and allocating more resources to community and preventative care.
The UCL researchers said they hoped the service could be rolled out across the UK within two years if it received appropriate funding and backing.
