An older person’s charity has called for more investment into preventative care to help ease the pressure on the ‘under-funded and overstretched’ NHS and social care system.
A new report from Age UK has found that 2.6 million people over 50 have unmet social care needs. This increases to 15% of people in their 70s, and 21% of people in their 80s.
The charity’s report, entitled Fixing the Foundations, also found that the proportion of older people feeling supported to manage their condition has been ‘falling consistently’. It is down almost 20% in relative terms since 2016/17.
Unplanned hospital admissions have also been rising and have become more frequent, particularly for the elderly, according to the charity’s findings.
In order to ensure the elderly receive care promptly and are not forced to go to hospital, Age UK is calling for more focus on – and investment in – preventative care.
'The crisis in the NHS is largely a crisis in older people’s preventive care, and if we’re to avoid another catastrophic winter in nine months’ time we need to act now to fix it,' a charity spokesperson said.
Integrated Care Systems (ICS) should develop comprehensive strategies for meeting the health and social care needs of older people at home, and in care homes, living in their areas, the charity says.
There also needs to be social care reform and a better paid health and social care workforce to help fill the 165,000 vacant posts in the social care system.
‘[F]ar too many older people are ending up in hospital, needing crisis care, because we are failing to provide them with the joined up, more preventive health and care services that would help them to manage in their own homes,’ said Caroline Abrahams, Age UK charity director.
‘Then, too many are getting stuck in a hospital bed when medically fit to leave because there’s no social care to support them at home. It’s an entirely predictable vicious circle and one that’s causing enormous heartache and distress for our older population – and huge difficulties for the NHS too.’
Responding to the report, Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) Community Wellbeing Board, repeated the LGA’s call for £13bn of investment in the social care system.
‘Preventative care and support is an absolutely crucial part of our social care system. Delivering the right care at home doesn’t just reduce the need for hospitalisation, it also allows people to live an equal life with the dignity they deserve,’ he said.
‘Too often there is too much focus on the back door of hospitals, when we need just as much focus on preventing people entering through the front door in the first place.
‘This is only possible with sufficient funding. We have consistently said that £13bn is needed for social care so that its many pressures can be addressed and councils can deliver on all of their statutory duties including those related to preventing or delaying the onset of conditions which, if left unsupported, can lead to hospital admissions. This is the level of investment needed to ensure people of all ages can live an equal life and reduce the need for hospital treatment.’
