PLANS to spend an extra £1million a year on improving support for people in need of care have been approved by St Helens Social Services Committee.

The proposals, funded by a special grant from the government, aim to provide better care facilities to enable people to stay at home rather than face admission to hospital or a nursing or residential home. It should also speed hospital discharges, freeing valuable beds.

As part of the proposals, carers will be provided with additional personal support, advice and information to help them cope with the demands they face. There will also be additional support for people with learning disabilities.

St Helens supports more people per head of its population over 65 in residential or nursing home care than any other Merseyside authority except Liverpool at an estimated cost of more than £11milion a year. The percentage number of pensioner housholds receiving home help or home care services is higher than any other Mersey authority.

Among the specific proposals approved by the committee were:

Continuing the scheme to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital by providing emergency domiciliary care which, it is hoped, will prevent up to 200 local people being admitted unnecessarily to hospital.

Speed occupational therapy assessments and the ability to purchase extra items of equipment.

Rehabilitation assistants to promote independence by focusing on the restoration of mobility, skills of daily living and building self-confidence.

A special intensive support project aimed at reducing the number of people needing institutional care for dementia.

Additional support for carers with an increased budget to provide respite care.

A joint project with Age Concern to build support in the community be encouraging befriending, good neighbour schemes, health education and encouraging links between younger and older people.

More funding to ensure that the needs of people with learning disabilities are properly met, and the council's day care centres for them open 52 weeks a year instead of the present 45 which will ease stress on carers. There will also be more support for them in the community.

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