Monthly Archives: May 2013

What carers can expect by 2018!

What to expect from health and social care

The contribution of carers to society is increasingly being recognised. It’s also widely accepted that carers are likely to know more about the needs of the people they care for than anyone else. Government guidance for health and social care professionals often emphasises the value of listening to carers and involving them in planning the care of the person they look after. The government national carers’ strategy, /PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085345″ shape=”rect”>Carers at the heart of 21st century families and communities, states that by 2018:

If we don’t adjust things for their needs, the system will collapse

System for looking after elderly people is dysfunctional and getting worse, says care minister

Radhika Sanghani , Ella Pickover

Tuesday 14 May 2013

The Government’s Care and Support Minister minister Norman Lamb has warned that the way the elderly are cared for is “dysfunctional” and that it is “getting worse” as the population ages.

The Liberal Democrat said: “This is a new challenge – people with chronic conditions living for more years. If we don’t adjust things for their needs, the system will collapse.

Elderly patients face longer hospital waits for care home transfer

Elderly patients are waiting more than a month in an NHS hospital before being transferred into a care home, campaigners warn today.

 

Patients now wait an average of 30.3 days before finding a place in a residential care home

 

Researchers found older people are waiting on average three days longer in hospital for a residential home position than when the Coalition government took office.

Experts said this meant the NHS hospitals were funding a substantially higher proportion of social care costs because of “needless” waiting by patients.

Health officials are currently grappling with accident and emergency wards that are full to bursting, with part of the problem attributed to delays in discharging patients from hospitals.