Charity’s warning of care delays

THOUSANDS of elderly people are being left without personal care because hard-up councils are delaying treatment to save money, it has been claimed.

A report from Age Scotland, the country’s largest charity for older people, said that around 4000 people are waiting longer than six weeks for a financial assessment.

Some are waiting several months and in one case, someone waited almost 18 months for a care assessment.

Councils are not obliged to record why delays have occurred although staff shortages, financial constraints and delays adapting people’s homes were cited by some as reasons for prolonged waiting times.

Age Scotland’s senior policy officer, Derek Young, believes local authorities are making people wait because of budget cutbacks.

He said: “Delays appear to be the main way in which councils try to manage the limits on their resources and the continuing demand.

“Some people have been told directly that the free personal care they’re entitled to receive cannot be paid to them because the council has simply run out of money.”

Delays to providing social care can lead to people trying to do more for themselves, raising the risk of falls.

Some arrange for their own paid-for care and end up out of pocket but most cannot afford that and instead rely on family and friends to get by, Age Scotland’s report claims.

The charity said its helpline has been inundated with calls about delays to care.

Age Scotland’s chief executive, Keith Robson, added: “These are deeply concerning figures. Our research has also found most Scots do not believe that as a society we invest enough in health and social care.”