Strategic Issues
Strategic Issue 1
There is rapidly increasing demand linked to an ageing population. Hartlepool already has 20% of residents aged 65+ with growth projected through 2030 and 2040. There is a predicted 40.5% rise in hospital admissions due to falls by 2024. National evidence highlights that adults aged 85+ have the highest frailty risk, with over half living with moderate/severe frailty.
With an ageing population there will be higher numbers of residents at risk of falls. There is a need for encouraging prevention engagement through community interventions and supporting multi-agency identification and support of high-risk individuals (through mental health teams, housing teams and social care).
Strategic Issue 2
Hartlepool has high levels of deprivation, with one of the highest IDAOPI scores in England (27.3%) and 4th most income-deprived English unitary authority for older adults. This is compounded with high levels of multimorbidity driving frailty progression. There are very high levels of MSK problems, physical inactivity, obesity and overweight, preventable sight loss and falls. National evidence shows people in deprived communities are twice as likely to experience frailty and deprivation accelerates frailty onset and transition.
There is a need to address modifiable risk factors such as poor housing conditions and lack of bungalows, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition and polypharmacy. Ensuring that targeted intervention reaches underserved communities as deprivation correlates with limited access to prevention.
Strategic Issue 3
There is a possibility of hidden burden of frailty, in particular Falls despite low emergency hospital admissions rates. There is a need for improved community-level data and intelligence to capture non-hospital falls managed in primary care or at home.