Intermediate care: moving forward; national service framework for older people supporting implementation

This report argues that intermediate care, a range of services to promote faster recovery from illness, prevent faster recovery from illness, reduce hospital admissions and to maximise independence, is vital to improve the health and well being of older people. The national service framework for older people is a ten year programme of action linking services to support independence and promote good health, specialised services for key conditions, and culture change so that all older people and their carers are always treated with respect, dignity and fairness. The overall aim is to ensure consistent services across the country and reduce variations in standards and service levels.