Source: Laing Buisson
According to an article written by Laing Buisson, the safety net for older people living at home is ‘dangerously weak’, with the number of over 65s without proper care and in poor health edging to half a million.
The warning comes from Age UK, which said the ‘over-stretched’ and fragmented health and care system means there is no guarantee professionals will keep an eye on older people living at home, leaving those unable to get help at risk of being admitted to hospital or worse.
According to the charity, nearly a third over 65s in the UK are living alone and of the 465,000 with three or more significant health conditions, only about one in three receives homecare support.
Because the care system has not kept pace with the ageing population, the rate of ‘avoidable’ emergency admissions has more than doubled for older people in the last 13 years, Age UK estimates.
England has seen a 63% rise in the overall rate of avoidable hospital admissions since 2003, according to its Failing safety net report. However, for those aged 65-69, rates have surged by 107% and 119% for the 75-79s, the charity’s analysis of NHS data reveals.
Age UK described ‘disturbing’ case studies in the report evidencing what can happen when older people’s health problems go unrecognised at home.
» Read the full article on Laing Buisson here
» Access the report here