Tag Archives: Older care
State-funded elderly care declining, Labour figures suggest
By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News
Freedom of Information responses from 121 councils showed they provided free care to 59,056 over 65s in 2011-12, down from 66,342 in 2009-10.
The drop comes despite the rise in over-65s due to the ageing population.
Campaigners said it proved the system needed urgent reform – something ministers say they are looking to do.
Labour asked all 153 councils that have responsibility for providing free care at home and in care homes a series of FOI questions.
Elderly care petition could go to Parliament after gaining 130,000 signatures
Campaigners for an overhaul of the elderly care system hope to trigger a debate in Parliament after collecting more than 130,000 signatures on a petition to David Cameron.
By John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor
7:00AM BST 15 May 2012
The petition, supported by more than 50 organisations working with elderly and disabled people, demands urgent action to introduce a new system of social care.
It comes amid claims of “betrayal” after last week’s Queen’s Speech which included a commitment only to a draft bill to reform the system with no mention of how care should be funded.
A white paper is due in the coming weeks to set out some aspects of how social care could be reformed.
Elderly face ‘revolving door’ hospital care under nursing cuts
Elderly patients face a ‘revolving door’, being shuttled between hospital and home because of cuts to community nursing, the Royal College of Nursing claims today (Mon).
6:30AM BST 14 May 2012
The union is branding Government efforts to provide more care out of hospitals – to reduce cases of ‘bed blocking’ and enable people tolive more independently – as a “façade” due to the cuts.
Numbers of community nurses – a catch-all term for district nurses,healthcare workers, school nurses and others – have dropped by 3.5 per cent the peak in 2009, according to an RCN survey, with the profession losing about 1,700 posts across England.
