Table 1
I statement [goals] of older patients in National Voices study ‘I’m Still Me’ [13].
| Theme | I statement |
|---|---|
| Independence | I am supported to be independent |
| I can do activities that are important to me | |
| I am recognised for what I can do rather than making assumptions about what I cannot | |
| My family are recognised as being key to my independence and quality of life | |
| Community Interactions | I can maintain social contact as much as I want |
| Decision making | I can make my own decisions, with advice and support from family, friends or professionals if I want it |
| Care and Support | I can plan my care with people who work together to understand me and my carer(s), who allow me control, and bring together services to achieve the outcomes important to me |
| Taken together, my care and support help me live the life I want to the best of my ability | |
| I can build relationships with people who support me |
Table 2
Survey question themes and how they map onto the different dimensions of care continuity identified in the research.
| Care in the home environment | Planned transitions in care | Unplanned situations/emergency admissions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relational continuity | “knows who to contact with questions bout condition(s)” | “home situation considered when planning discharge” | “patient can identify first person they would contact if they needed help” |
| “has single named professional” | |||
| Informational continuity | “staff have provided information about available services” | “GP was informed about outcome of planned hospital treatment” | “emergency staff could quickly access information about conditions” |
| “patient had enough information to be able to take care of him/herself after leaving hospital” | |||
| Management continuity | “needs assessment carried out” | “post-discharge care plan in place” | “care received inspires confidence needs will be met in an emergency” |
| “care plan in place” | “discharge care plan made patient confident they could manage their own care on leaving hospital” | ||
| “received expected support to manage health day to day on leaving hospital” | |||
| I statements | “supported to make own decisions” | “patient views are taken into account when producing care plan” | N/A |
| Other | “Support from social services is sufficient” |
Table 3
Questionnaire concepts and example questions.
| Questionnaire concept | Example questions |
|---|---|
| Your health and wellbeing | “On the whole, are you able to do the activities that are important to you?” |
| “To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: ‘I am supported by health and care staff to be as independent as I can be’” | |
| Managing your health day to day | “Do you have a single named health or care professional who coordinates all your care and support?” |
| “Do you feel that health and care staff listen to what you have to say?” | |
| Support from social services | “At the present time, do care workers visit you as often as you need?” |
| Planned care | “Do you have a written care plan?” |
| “Are your views taken into account when deciding what is in your care plan?” | |
| Urgent access to health care | “Does the care you receive make you feel confident that your needs will be met if you need to access healthcare urgently?” |
| “If you are feeling unwell and need help, who is the first person you contact for help?” | |
| Hospital care | “Did hospital staff take your family or home situation into account when planning your discharge?” |
| “Before you left hospital, did the hospital staff spend enough time explaining the care and support you would receive when you got home?” |