06/02/2020

Funding Secured For Community Care In Antrim

A programme providing community-based care for frail older people in the Antrim area will be funded for the next five years, it's been confirmed.

People over the age of 70 are supported by the IMPACTAgewell initiative, led by the Mid & East Antrim Agewell Partnership (MEAAP) alongside local GP practices, community pharmacists, trust social work teams, commissioners and the community/voluntary sector.

The service offers assistance for those living with long-term health conditions in areas of domestic life that may cause them difficulty, such as accessing transport, heating their home, not understanding their medications, support to better manage their health conditions or guidance for claiming benefits.

Some 1,000 people have been assisted since the scheme was first established.

Dunhill Medical Trust and the Health and Social Care Board will provide additional funds for the service until 2025, confirmed Valerie Watts, HSCB Chief Executive.

She told an MEAAP event: "After positive evaluation findings and the ongoing commitment from Dunhill Medical Trust, the Health and Social Care Board has agreed to provide funding to secure the IMPACTAgewell® project for the next five years.

"This is fantastic news for older people and the Trust in Mid and East Antrim and will enable the roll out of IMPACTAgewell on a phased basis to cover all 26 GP practices in the Mid and East Antrim area."

Susan Kay, CEO of The Dunhill Medical Trust, congratulated MEAAP and all the partners involved in the initiative.

"This fantastically energetic partnership has met all of its considerable challenges with positivity and commitment," Ms Kay said. "It has demonstrated that it really doesn't matter whether services are owned by the public, private or third sectors – the imperative is that those sectors need to find ways to work together seamlessly to benefit the community. We are delighted to be able to continue to play our part."



(JG/MH)

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