Intermediate and Continuing Care

Intermediate care comprises strategies which allow early dischargefrom acute care, prevent admission or re-admission to acute careand avoid bed-blocking in both acute and long-term residentialcare. It encompasses a range of short-term options including rapidresponse, hospital at home, residential rehabilitation, supporteddischarge and day rehabilitation. Continuing Care is delivered on along-term basis in a variety of settings and often includes anelement of rehabilitation. Although these two types of care have distinct objectives, theyare interrelated as changes in the supply of one type of care mayaffect demands for the other. In addition, from a patientperspective, intermediate and continuing care might be seen as partof the continuum of care options that are supplied to meet theirneeds. This book argues for consideration of intermediate andcontinuing care as part of the care continuum that providesintegrated care adopting whole system approaches. This edited volume explores policy, practice and current issuesin intermediate and continuing care. It will be of interest toallhealth and social care professionals involved in the provisionand planning of care for older people. It falls in three parts:intermediate care, continuing care, and a shorter section onpatient and public involvement and future directions.