Tackling engagement barriers to boost reablement outcomes
In today’s society, more of us are living into our 70s, 80s and even 90s.
The ability to continue living at home and doing the things we love is a vital part of preserving our sense of self, but things like a hospital admission or a gradual loss of physical capabilities and confidence can threaten this. Reablement services are designed to help people regain their independence. It is entirely different from long-term care, which can increase dependency.
However, not everyone benefits from reablement as much as they could. This is often because they do not engage with the service. There are lots of different reasons why someone may not ‘buy into’ and actively work at being reabled, preventing them from benefitting fully.
What is reablement?
Reablement is an intensive social care intervention that helps people regain or maintain their independence by helping them find new ways to manage their daily lives. It is a time-limited set of services delivered to people in their own homes.
Older people recently discharged from hospital are among those who are referred to reablement services and can benefit from this intervention. Research shows that the people who achieve the best outcomes from reablement are those who participate fully with the intervention and engage well with practitioners. They often avoid the need for any form of ongoing care and their risk of hospital re-admission is decreased.
Although reablement has been a core pillar of social care for about 20 years, there remains key challenges that interfere with people fully embracing its potential.