Older people have been hit by a ‘double whammy’ of cuts to health and social care services, the UK’s largest charity for elderly people claims.
Figures from Age UK suggest spending on social care services for older people has fallen from £8.1bn to £5.46bn over the past decade, while funding for community care has fallen by almost a quarter since 2010/11.
On top of this, the charity warned hospitals had been taking a ‘much bigger slice’ of spending within the NHS than primary and community care.
Analysis reveals the number of people aged over 65 climbed by two thirds between 2007/8 and 2013/14, while numbers of people aged 75 or readmitted to hospital within 28 days rose by over 34% between 2005/6 and 2011/12.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: ‘Far too often frail older people are without the help they need to stay well at home and end up having to go A&E instead.
‘Others find themselves stranded in hospital because there aren’t enough social care and community health services to allow them to be safely discharged.
‘But it doesn’t have to be like this. The solution is more investment in primary and community healthcare, and in social care, and we call on the chancellor to commit to this in his Budget.
‘A stronger system of community based health and social care would be good for older people, would enable our hospitals to work more effectively and would help the taxpayer too,’ Abrahams added.
