Merton care home team’s innovative project to reduce frailty in care home residents recognised by national innovation programme
An innovative project developed by CLCH’s Merton care home team to reduce frailty in elderly patients has been accepted on to the Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI) Community Nursing Innovation Programme. The programme, which helps community-based teams to drive improvement in their services, will help the team improve health outcomes of elderly people by promoting best practice and equality in healthcare across the borough.
The QNI's Community Nursing Innovation Programme accepts 10–12 projects in each cohort that raise the profile and recognition of community services. The programme also supports nurses to reach their full potential and inspires them to advance in their careers. Since 1990, the QNI has funded around 350 innovative projects across a whole range of community nursing specialisms in the UK.
Established in October 2022, the Merton care home team developed an initiative to identify care home residents who are most at risk of health deterioration through a series of trigger questions in order to reduce frailty. The team carries out a comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to identify medical, psychosocial, and functional limitations of frail patients. This is then used to develop a personalised care plan to improve their overall health and wellbeing and quality of life. It is hoped that the initiative will reduce the need for urgent and emergency care for care home residents by keeping them well and preventing them getting to crisis point.
Care home team lead and Queen’s Nurse Janine Lane, said: “I am tremendously proud of my team and the efforts they have made to be accepted into the QNI Innovation Programme. We have a very exciting year ahead to truly make a difference to the health and wellbeing of care home residents.”
Of the successful application submitted by Janine, Fleur Beeson, Clinical Business Unit Manager and Borough Lead for Merton Adult Services, said: “Janine and her team put a lot of thought and effort into their application, so their success is really well deserved. The project is an exciting opportunity to ensure that all care home residents receive safe, proactive and effective care. It will be great to see this put into action by our new care home team in Merton.”
In response to the successful application, the QNI said: "Thank you for your very comprehensive application which is very clear and an excellent project for the community nursing innovation programme."
Pictured: Top from left to right: Janine Lane, Care Home Team Lead, Anthony Miller, Adminstrator and Cadence Azad, Clinical Education and Training Lead. Bottom from left to right: Gillian Eden, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Ying Bian, Advanced Nurse Practitioner
