Pressures pile and even more care needs go unmet – report
New research from Age UK shows social care is more under-resourced and under-staffed than ever, causing two million people to go without the care they need.
The publication of Lord Darzi’s report, which claimed that the answer to addressing the current NHS and care crisis lies in focusing more on prevention and early intervention, prompted Age UK to embark on some research of their own.
Published last week, the report The State of Health and Care of Older People in 2024, shows that despite some services bouncing back after the Covid-19 pandemic, health and care were not one of them, creating major implications for unpaid carers and older persons in the UK. What’s more, recent estimates suggest our elderly population is expected to rise to 4.3million by 2044.
Key findings from the report include:
- The number of people over 75 has increased by 18% since 2017
- Fewer people are receiving long term care from their council – 542,420 during 2022/23 compared to 565,240 in 2017/18
- Growth in the number of GPs is not keeping pace with the population growth of older people aged 75+
- The numbers of district nurses reduced by 17.5% between 2014 and 2023 – a trend in completely the wrong direction, given how central their role is in treating older people at home for problems like pressure sores, which can develop into serious health problems requiring acute care
- The NHS workforce is not growing fast enough to meet increasing needs and acuity, but to the extent that it has been growing at all, hospitals, rather than community settings, have generally been the beneficiaries.
Commenting on the findings, Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK said: ‘It’s deeply worrying that the numbers of older people living with some unmet need for social care have now reached two million, out of a total older population in England of about 11 million. Some of these older people may be just about managing, but others will undoubtedly be struggling badly with everyday tasks like getting out of bed and washing, increasing their risk of problems like falls which could cause them serious injury, or worse.
‘The government has not yet said what it intends to do in terms of reforming and refinancing social care, though it has made it clear that it sees social care playing a crucial role in the more joined up, community-based Health and Care approach it wants to see supporting older people to stay fit and well at home. We completely agree with Ministers and with Lord Darzi that this is the right direction of travel, but the question we would ask is whether it will prove possible to achieve this without the comprehensive social care reform which Ministers suggest it will be impossible to achieve during this parliament.’
Whilst the report paints a frightening picture, some solutions have been proposed. Age UK is now calling on the government to invest in GP practises, ensure every Integrated Care System implements an Ageing Well Strategy, and apply the NHS workforce plan.
‘Some of the findings in our new report are frightening, in that they show how badly our Health and Care system is currently failing some older people, the oldest old especially, despite the professionalism and commitment of many kind and dedicated staff,’ Caroline added. ‘These older people do not have time on their side and it is above all for their sake that we would urge the government to work with the NHS, local government and charities like Age UK too, to chart a path to a better future for health and equally for social care.’
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