Standards Development

Scope

This document would specify requirements and recommendations for the provision of health and social care services for older persons provided by healthcare and social care personnel, irrespective of whether the service is provided in the persons own home or in a care home. The services concerned also include those offered to older people who do not reside permanently at a care home, such as temporary accommodations.

Care services are provided in a variety of settings. While this document would focus on those delivered in care facilities including preventive, responsive, and palliative care, many of the requirements can be applied to the provision of care services in any setting.

Service provision is based on the individual needs and preferences of the older person to assist selfdetermination, participation, and a safe and secure old age. The document would encompass the compressive needs of care home residents and the workforce, taking into consideration principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. This document would apply to all providers of care and support to older persons irrespective of size, structure, legal set up, or funding model (i. e. public or private).

Care homes, also referred to as residential, long-term care homes, continuing care, personal care, or nursing homes, are residential settings where the majority of residents often live with complex health care needs. They provide a range of professional health services, lodging, food, and personal care (e. g., assistance with everyday activities) for their residents 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.

The document is structured to provide clear requirements and accountabilities to enable care home teams, governing bodies, and other stakeholders to work together toward a common vision for resident-centred, high-quality care.

This document would be intended to be used in quality assurance, follow-up, evaluation, and development of such services and can be used as a basis for procurement, training, supervision, and certification.

This document would not cover standardization of clinical guidelines and/or medical devices.

Purpose

This proposed standard would support the United Nations Principles for older persons (https://www. ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/united-nations-principles-older-persons#:~:text=1., to%20other%20income%2Dgenerating%20opportunities.):

- Older persons should be able to live in environments that are safe and adaptable to personal preferences and changing capacities.

- Older persons should be able to reside at home for as long as possible.

-Older persons should benefit from family and community care and protection in accordance with each society's system of cultural values.

- Older persons should be able to utilize appropriate levels of institutional care providing protection, rehabilitation, and social and mental stimulation in a humane and secure environment.

- Older persons should be able to enjoy human rights and fundamental freedoms when residing in any shelter, care, or treatment facility, including full respect for their dignity, beliefs, needs and privacy and for the right to make decisions about their care and the quality of their lives.

- Older persons should be able to live in dignity and security and be free of exploitation and physical or mental abuse. Older persons should be treated fairly regardless of age, gender, racial or ethnic background, disability or other status, and be valued independently of their economic contribution.

It builds upon the work done in IWA 18 ‘integrated community-based life-long health and care services  in aged societies’ which discusses long-term care in multiple environments and elements. Early on in the ISO/TC 314 business case it this was identified as the population of older persons requiring care and support services is increasing and there is a need for a shift in the way care and support is organized and a change in the way older persons and ageing in general are perceived. The concepts of active ageing and age-friendly environments stresses the importance of enabling the older person in need of care and support to be involved and empowered to decide how their needs, expectations and preferences can be met to live as autonomously as possible.

The target groups intended to benefit from the outcomes of the proposed document includes: Older persons in need of care and support, persons with caregiving responsibilities, e. g. family and close friends and volunteers