Two stories concerning adult social care came to our attention at the end of November – in the coming weeks it will be interesting to see if there are any positive developments.
“Age is just a number – for different people it means different things”
Firstly, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has analysed population data on health and life expectancy and compared trends over a number of years.
The results have led the ONS to conclude that “70 may be the new 65” because many people who reach their 70th milestone birthday can still expect to live another 15 years, particularly when taking health into account. It is recognised that improvements in medicines and treatment, combined with healthier lifestyles over the years are all contributing to our longevity. However, this also results in greater pressure on our already stretched NHS and adult social care services.
Libby Webb, senior research manager at Age UK commented: “People at age 70 now have the same life expectancy and similar health to people aged 65 in the past so, on average we are definitely seeing people doing better than they did in the past. But people still experience a period of poor health at the end of their lives.”
“Social Care must be solved by next government”
The second story was the publication of an open letter on adult social care, signed by a coalition of charities and councils including Age UK and Alzheimer’s Society, and the United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) – of which Otus is a member. The letter was circulated to members of the UKHCA and published in the Daily Telegraph under the heading “Social Care must be solved by next government”. Ahead of the forthcoming General Election, the open letter firmly states it is “absolutely crucial that adult social care and support is at the top of the next government’s agenda”. The letter goes on to say that the General Election is a chance for the incoming government to finally “grasp the nettle and find a lasting solution.”
The signatories went on to say: “As organisations dedicated to bringing about the changes needed for social care, we want to see a new government put funding reform into action to deliver sustainable investment which supports people’s well-being. Working together, we can make the most of that opportunity for the benefit of the entire population. This is in the national interest, it must not be wasted again.”
Watching with interest
At Otus, we regularly help guide and signpost families who are finding it difficult to identify effective support and advice when caring for a loved one. In our experience, there is definitely a need for improvement across all areas of adult social care – Alzheimer’s UK research estimates that 60% of people receiving home-care services are living with dementia and that by 2025, one million people in the UK will have dementia – meaningful solutions need to be found.