The Eldonian Care of the Elderly Project

The Institute of Human Ageing was commissioned by the Eldonian Development Trust to undertake a feasibility study into the setting-up of an initiative in the provision of community care for the elderly in the Vauxhall and North Liverpool area. The research began in January 1993 and covered three main areas: (1) Needs of older people and carers: The key to the project is to understand the needs of elderly people and their carers from their perspective and to look to develop consumer-driven services in Vauxhall. To this end we have interviewed 50 people in the Vauxhall area. In addition the views of experts and professionals involved in care of the elderly in the statutory and independent sectors have been elicited. From a quantitative perspective, a detailed examination of statistical sources has been undertaken to estimate the potential market for community care in North Liverpool. (2) Funding/contractual component: Local Authority service purchasers under the new community care framework have been contacted, to examine the development of care funding arrangements in Liverpool. (3) Training and enterprise component: An aim of the initiative is to develop services in the Vauxhall area that will attract funding and generate employment opportunities. Developing an appropriate skill base through training will be a key part of the initiative. Responsibility for this element of the project is with Jane Hobson of Manchester Consulting Group. It is recognised that specific recommendations regarding training are not possible until a clear business plan has been developed.