The aim of establishing ICASS in Fife was to transform community services by bringing together uni-disciplinary teams to utilise fully resources available in line with demand, and to coordinate care through a single point of access (SPOA). It contributes to our commitment to ensure the closer integration of the range of community services under one system.
It aims to improve quality of care and outcomes for older people whilst allowing them to remain independent within their own homes or communities, provides alternatives to hospital admission, reduces the number requiring long term institutional care, reduces length of stay for those who require a hospital admission. It aims to address the following:
- Moving from an inpatient model of care to a robust community based model of care involving older people and their carers and families in care planning
- Bringing together teams to make more efficient use of resources to meet the needs/demands of the increasingly elderly population
- To provide a single point of access
- To provide alternatives to hospital admission
- To reduce length of stay if an admission is necessary
- To provide assessment and care in the person’s own home or a homely setting
- To achieve and sustain maximum potential and independence; and
- To reduce numbers going into long term institutional care.