Community Frailty Pathway Engagement Report

 Healthwatch Liverpool evaluated a Community Frailty Pathway pilot that provided home visits from a community geriatrician to older people identified as living with frailty. Feedback was gathered from eight participants, including one patient and seven relatives or carers. Overall, experiences were very positive. People appreciated receiving specialist support at home and praised the clinician’s professional, approachable and person-centred manner. Many reported feeling listened to, involved in decisions and reassured by having time to discuss concerns in detail. 

Participants felt the home visits were more convenient and less stressful than attending hospital appointments, particularly for people with mobility issues or complex health needs. Many valued the detailed discussions about medication, future care and health conditions, and some reported practical benefits such as medication reviews and faster access to services. Even where health issues remained unresolved, people often felt the visit improved their confidence and understanding of available support.

Relatives and carers also described benefits for themselves, including improved understanding of their family member’s health conditions and reduced pressure from arranging appointments and transport. A recurring theme was that patients felt genuinely listened to and treated as individuals rather than as part of a system. Some respondents compared the experience favourably with hospital appointments, saying they felt less rushed and more supported.

Healthwatch concluded that the pilot improved patient and carer experiences through personalised, community-based care. Recommendations included continuing and expanding the service across Liverpool, ensuring clinicians have the communication skills needed to build trust quickly, maintaining strong involvement of patients and carers in decision-making, and providing written follow-up information after visits. The report noted that plans were already underway to expand the community frailty service to a wider population.