Tag Archives: Dilnot
Elderly care is already in crisis
Why we must all open our eyes to the longevity timebomb
Last updated at 6:19 PM on 24th January 2012
I was catapulted into the parallel universe of geriatric care a few years ago, when my father was struck by a little understood and highly unpredictable form of dementia.
I won’t pretend that I wasn’t shocked: at the score of under-resourced and poorly maintained care homes we inspected, at the patronising and casual disrespect with which Dad was treated in hospital; at the irritability, exhaustion and patent disinterest of the social workers with whom I tried to raise extremely serious issues of neglect and abuse.
The Archbishop of York says our elderly men and women must not suffer
Elderly care: Commentary by the Archbishop of York
This year, and for many years to come, the demands on the national purse will be huge.
By Dr John Sentamu
7:00AM GMT 13 Jan 2012
We are in debt. We cannot go on spending as though there is no tomorrow. Stringent savings are needed, but must be applied with caution and compassion. Only the most callous would want defenceless elderly men and women to suffer as a result.
Today, the ratio of wage-earners to retired people is about 3:1 in the UK. As we are living longer and longer, that could become 2:1 by the time today’s teenagers have retired. That may not be as fearsome as it sounds:
• Older people are healthier than they used to be and laws governing the age of retirement are being changed.
