COVER STORY: Value-based healthcare in residential and nursing care homes

 Care homes play a crucial role in supporting the most vulnerable members of our society, and their importance will continue to grow with our ageing population. In recent years, the healthcare sector has witnessed a paradigm shift in how value is perceived and measured. In this new paradigm, value-based healthcare is defined as the equitable, sustainable, and transparent use of the available resources to achieve better outcomes and experiences for every person.¹ Value-based healthcare prioritises outcomes and cost-effectiveness, ensuring that residents receive high-quality care. This aligns with the CQC Single Assessment Framework that focuses on care that is safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs, and well-led,² using the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) as part of their inspection process.³ 

Long-term care facilities must deliver high-quality care alongside managing costs, meeting CQC standards, and minimising litigation liability. Challenges include a changing resident population, staffing resources, staff knowledge and care skills, equipment provision, and care delivery methods. In many facilities, care roles have potentially become task-oriented rather than person-centred, prioritising completing tasks over improving the health and wellbeing of the resident.⁴ 

Value-based healthcare includes improving resident outcomes while minimising costs, emphasising wellness, and preventing unnecessary hospitalisations. In the context of elderly care, an important aspect is to minimise immobility and deconditioning in residents, achieved through personalised care plans, regular physical activity, and social engagement.