Better at home conference unveils the future of frailty care

Health and care professionals, community partners, carers and people with lived experience came together at Riverside Church in Whitstable for Better at Home: Building the future of frailty care in Kent.

The conference explored how health, social care and community organisations can work together to help people remain independent and receive more care at home.

Leading experts from across the system shared national insight, local examples and ideas for delivering more proactive and coordinated support. There was a strong sense of shared ambition in the room as speakers and attendees considered how neighbourhood health, prevention and closer partnerships could improve care for people living with frailty.

Attendees also took part in a collaborative workshop, sharing their experiences and discussing the most important actions needed to better integrate frailty care across Kent and Medway.

WATCH: Shelagh's keynote speech in full

Dr Shelagh O’Riordan, Clinical Director for Frailty Services at KCHFT and President of the UK Hospital at Home Society, said: “We have the answers. We need to be brave enough to deliver them.

“That means identifying people with the highest needs, including those living with frailty and complex multi-morbidity, and enabling neighbourhood teams to provide truly proactive, person-centred care.

“It means urgent care at home for those who need it most, rehabilitation before crisis and excellent end-of-life care, while supporting carers every step of the way.”

Dr Rakesh Koria, NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Director for Neighbourhood Health for people with the highest needs, said: “Kent and Medway has one of the highest levels of frailty in the south east. People are living longer, often with more ill health and too many communities face inequality.

“We need one approach across Kent and Medway that brings every sector together, supports people earlier and provides joined-up care in and out of hours.”

The conference highlighted a shared ambition to strengthen neighbourhood health, build closer partnerships and help people receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

From prevention and early intervention to rehabilitation and urgent care at home, the discussions reflected a commitment to creating a more proactive, coordinated and sustainable health and care system.

Jane Reynolds, Expert Patients Programme Coordinator at KCHFT, said: "It was good to hear directly from clinicians about their experiences of delivering this approach, and reassuring to see that the data supports the model. The evidence presented clearly demonstrated that this approach is effective and can lead to better outcomes for individuals and communities."

The conversation doesn’t stop at the conference. Help us continue it by joining our Better at Home webinar and encouraging your patients, their families and carers to take part too.

Read the slides from the conference: Better at home slide deck.