Many of those Aspire works with receive care funded by the National Health Service and are supported through continuing healthcare provision to meet their medically assessed needs.
Continuing healthcare is funded solely by the NHS for people outside of hospital who have ongoing healthcare needs. In our experience, it is usually allocated to individuals with higher level spinal cord injuries.People can receive continuing healthcare in any setting, including their own home or a care home.
In 2011, Aspire noted an increase in the volume of cases where people with spinal cord injury, who in the opinion of specialist staff from spinal injury centres should be receiving continuing healthcare, were being denied that provision in their own home. The only option made available to meet these individuals’ high care needs was if they agreed to live in a nursing home.
Aspire believes that if people require care, they should have the option for it to be provided in their own home. Any decision made should be based on needs and empowering the individual to live an independent life.
Based on responses from 67 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England, our results show that the amount of people who are newly provided with continuing healthcare in their own homes has increased every year from 2007 to 2011. However, there is a slight decrease in quarter two of 2011 when compared to quarter one in 2011.
Aspire will be further investigating this area and will continue to monitor the amount of people that newly receive continuing healthcare in their own home once the current financial year 2011/2012 has come to an end.
Data obtained by Community Care on appeals and successful appeals against continuing healthcare decisions suggests that people are having work harder to receive the provision they are entitled to. Aspire’s key message to individuals, campaign groups, charities and social workers is to keep on fighting to receive the level of support required to empower people to live their lives independently.
Mar 14, 2012 10:49 GMT Instructability is a pioneering course by Aspire and YMCAfit. We provide free training to anyone over 16, disabled, unemployed and living in a London Borough. The course gives participants the skills, knowledge and confidence to begin their fitness career. Successful completion of the course will lead to an internationally recognised qualification, the CYQ Level 2 Certificate in Gym Instructing.
Feb 21, 2012 13:28 GMT The Aspire Independent Living Advisors (AILAs) undertook training last week to help them facilitate conversations with patients with spinal cord injury. The training began with a focus on the Independent Living Advisors' knowledge of Aspire. All the AILAs were given a scenario to role play, which was filmed. The videos were then played back to the group to be reviewed.
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