Frail elderly are victims of ‘bad care planning’

FRAIL pensioners have not been receiving the right care in the right place at the right time, according to an official report published yesterday.

A communication breakdown and quarrels over whose budget should pay for care have led to a lack of joint planning and vision.

That was the damning verdict of a Care Quality Commission (CQC) review of how older people move between health and social care services in 20 English local authorities.

The review – Beyond Barriers – found too much ineffective co-ordination of services, leading to fragmented care.

In one example an older woman was living at home with the support of her son and services from a care agency.

Deteriorated

One Friday evening she fell and was taken to hospital. Next day she was ready to go home, but because the right staff were unavailable over the weekend she could not be discharged.

On the Monday morning she was ready to be discharged, but because her home care support was no longer available she still could not go home.

She stayed in hospital for more than a month, her condition deteriorated and eventually she was moved into a residential care home. She never saw her own home again.

Sir David Behan, head of the CQC, said: “A system designed in 1948 can no longer meet the needs of increasing numbers of older people in 2018.”

IT WILL come as little surprise to those most affected, but pensioners are regularly being failed by healthcare pen-pushers. While frontline NHS staff and social workers toil hard to cope with ever-increasing demand, their efforts are hampered by breakdowns in communication, quarrels over budgeting, a lack of joint planning and ineffective co-ordination of services.

That is the damning conclusion from a new report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

It found elderly patients are not receiving the right care in the right place at the right time.

It is yet another reason why the Daily Express wants a Minister for Older People – to knock heads together and make sure the system works for the people who use it most.