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Painful journeys: why getting to hospital appointments is a major issue for older people
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 19
- Place of publication:
- London
This report identifies three key problems that older people and their families can experience when trying to get to routine hospital appointments: long and uncomfortable public transport journeys; variable quality of patient transport services; and extra costs to older people and their families. These difficulties can result in extra costs to the NHS due to missed appointments, possible relapses, and treatment at a point of crisis rather than preventative care. The report draws on the results of a survey of 1,342 people aged 65 or over and uses individual case examples to illustrate the problems experienced. The report calls for the government to conduct a review of transport services to ensure every hospital journey for an older person: is comfortable, affordable, minimises stress and anxiety, and gets them to and from hospital in good time, without long waits. (Edited publisher abstract)
Agenda for later life 2011: public policy and an ageing society
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 80p.
- Place of publication:
- London
The barriers older people face tend to be greatest in terms of money, isolation, marginalisation, and their health and care needs. But prevention is better than cure, so we are also anxious to improve life for today’s older people – the cohort with both the greatest wealth and widest inequalities in our history. The trend to increased inequalities has continued bringing about huge variations in both lifespans and the different experiences of later life. This report details Age UK’s annual audit of the way public policy is shaping later life. The organisation stands up for almost 14 million people in the UK who have now reached later life, but also to speak for the long-term interests of every one, so that experiences of ageing grow better for each passing generation. The report focuses mainly on the way national Government and the wider public sector impact on our lives as we age. But positive experiences of ageing are just as dependent on our interactions with the private sector; with our lives as consumers of retail businesses, leisure, technology and financial services.
Socially excluded older people and their access to health and care services: insights from professionals
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 30
- Place of publication:
- London
This report brings together a series of case studies from professionals who are working with socially excluded older people, including older people who are homeless, former prisoners, living in poverty, or living with severe mental illness or addiction. It offers an insight into the challenges these older people are facing and provides best practice examples of services making a difference to older people’s lives. The is report is based upon interviews with eight professionals from organisations supporting socially excluded older people. Day-to-day challenges of older people who are socially excluded include mental and physical health, social isolation and addiction. While socially excluded older people are facing challenges separate to ageing their age magnifies the issues which they face and makes day-to-day life more difficult. Reasons for this include the fact that unhealthy behaviours are riskier in later life; and services are not set up for older people. While services do exist to support socially excluded people, accessing them is often challenging, especially for older people, due to a range of reasons including mistrust of services, ageism and stigma, and lack of information. The professionals interviewed identified practical ways to support older people who are socially excluded: building trust with older people; continuity of care; adapting services to support people with cognitive impairment; understanding what matters to older people; moving away from a one-size fits all approach; creating safe spaces; and raising awareness of services. (Edited publisher abstract)
Briefing: Health and care of older people in England 2019
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2019
- Pagination:
- 70
- Place of publication:
- London
Drawing on official statistics and analysis from Age UK, this report provides an overview of how services are functioning for older people across the NHS and social care. It highlights the ageing population and increasing levels of complex health and care needs. It also looks at the funding pressures on social care crisis, the implications of funding cuts for the provision of services and on older people and their families. The report finds that a growing and ageing population means demand for care services is increasing, whilst social care spending per head of the adult population has fell in real terms between 2010/11 and 2017/18, the cost of providing care is rising. (Edited publisher abstract)
Briefing: health and care of older people in England 2017
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2017
- Pagination:
- 68
- Place of publication:
- London
Drawing on an analysis of recent statistical data, this report looks at how the system of health and care is currently working for older people in England. It highlights the ageing population and an increasing number of older people with complex health and care needs. It also looks at the growing pressures on social care funding, and the funding of older people’s social care specifically and the impact of funding cuts on older people and their families. It reports on trends in public funding of health care services, including, primary care, community care and secondary care and looks at projections for the future. The report finds that there are now nearly 1.2 million people aged 65+ who don’t receive the care and support they need with essential daily living activities, representing 1 in 8 older people in the entire population. It also shows that lack of social care is also putting more pressure on hospital care, with people waiting longer to discharged from hospital; placing extra pressure on older carers, with many carers also having a health condition or disability. The report concludes that more investment in health and care services is needed to meet the needs of a growing ageing population. It also calls for the Government to lead a discussion about how to fund sustainable, joined up health and care services our growing older population needs. (Edited publisher abstract)
A great place to grow older
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2015
- Pagination:
- 12
- Place of publication:
- London
Sets out Age UK's ambition for the next Parliament 2015-2020, advocating the development of key services, interventions and government policies to support the UK ageing population and outlining what the political parties need to focus on immediately. The key themes considered in this manifesto include: older people and wellbeing; safety at home; financial independence in later life; active communities; and quality health and care. (Edited publisher abstract)
Later life in rural England
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2013
- Pagination:
- 36
- Place of publication:
- London
Age UK calls for all levels of government to take action to: rural proof policies and services; support community participation; and target social isolation. This report draws attention to the problems older people have in access to health, social care and other services resulting from reductions in scheduled bus services. While older people living in rural areas enjoy better health than those living in urban areas, they can also face difficulties in accessing health and social care services due to distance, poor transport provision, and poor service integration. The report identifies other problems faced by older people living in rural areas: fuel poverty; broadband access; poverty and social exclusion; and loneliness and social isolation. For each of the topics covered, key facts, case studies and good practice examples are presented. (Original abstract)
Health, care and cash: improving the lives of older people in Red Wall England
- Author:
- AGE UK
- Publisher:
- Age UK
- Publication year:
- 2020
- Pagination:
- 12
- Place of publication:
- London
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the social policies that are likely to be most beneficial to older people living in the Red Wall – the Midlands and North of England, which are traditionally viewed as safe for Labour and where the Conservative Party won a swathe of Parliamentary seats in the last General Election. The paper looks at the data concerning older people who live in these constituencies and sets out three key messages: 1) The NHS really matters – both life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are lower than the national average and as a result, older people living in the Red Wall spend more years and a greater proportion of their life in poor health and managing disability; 2) Fixing social care is essential – across England only around half of older people who need help with essential day to day tasks get enough help but that figure drops markedly to just 33 per cent and 38 per cent respectively in the North East and North West; 3) The state pension and other forms of financial support for pensioners really matter, and they have less housing wealth – the fact that incomes in many parts of the Red Wall are lower than the national average holds true for pensioners as well as working age households. The paper also looks at the kinds of policies that might ‘fit’ with these three key messages so far as older people living in the Red Wall are concerned – and others with similar characteristics right across England. (Edited publisher abstract)