Types of reablement care services varied by local authority but had similar underlying structures.
- The types of services provided under reablement care and the teams delivering these services, varied between local authorities. However, there were some overall similarities. Both Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) provided a general reablement care package and a therapy-led package involving multidisciplinary teams for individuals with more complex needs.
- Access to these services also differed. In Bridgend, most people accessed therapy-led packages (56.0%), while in RCT, most accessed general reablement packages (85.5%). This difference could reflect either the varying needs of the local population or differences in available resources.
- In Bridgend, therapy-led packages were the most common service across all demographics, except in those aged 90+, where 62.2% accessed general reablement care. Interestingly, individuals without multimorbidity were more likely to access therapy-led services than those with multimorbidity (65.5% vs. 54.2%). This pattern might indicate that service goals differed depending on individual needs. However, no firm conclusions can be drawn without knowing each person’s goals.
- The intake service’s small sample size limited the detailed analysis of these services in RCT.
The proportion of community referrals decreased with age while the proportion of hospital referrals increased.
- Referrals to reablement care can either come from hospitals—to help patients after discharge—or from the community, which includes self-referrals, family members, social workers, and community health professionals (such as GPs, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, or district nurses).
- The proportion of community vs. hospital referrals differed between areas. In Bridgend, most referrals came from community sources (76.8%), while in RCT, referrals were more balanced, with 50.2% from community sources and 49.8% from hospitals.
- Community referrals were the most common source of reablement care across all age groups. However, the proportion of community referrals decreased with age while the proportion of hospital referrals increased. For example, in Bridgend, 81.2% of referrals for people under 65 were from the community, compared to 67.4% for those aged 90+. A similar pattern was seen in RCT, with 58.9% of community referrals for those under 65, compared to 49.6% for those aged 90+.
Figure 1: Percentage of reablement care packages by referral source per age group in Bridgend and RCT.