The single assessment process in primary care: Older people's accounts of the process

Recent government policies have been active in addressing social inclusion and active participation of older people in many aspects of societal life. Independence and wellbeing animate these developments and are evident in the emphasis on person-centred services within the single assessment process for older people (Department of Health, 2002b). Drawing on a feasibility study of the Single Assessment Process as a 'case-finding' approach, this paper presents findings drawn from older people's accounts of this experience. These accounts indicate the potential of the process for identifying 'low-level' need, whilst raising issues of access to formal services and resource constraint; also they underline the importance of understanding how older people seek ways of managing their own health and well-being, whilst continuing to contribute to the social cohesion of society by providing support to their peers and to younger generations. Interdependence, it is suggested, rather than dependence should underlie any approach to assessing older people's needs, if we are to appreciate and build upon the complexity of older people's strategies for actively managing their lives.