Human face of the age crisis
EVERY Friday I spend hours listening to the problems of the people I represent.
They come to my surgery because they’re at their wits’ end and are hopeful I can help.
More and more are coming to talk about the social care for an elderly or infirm person living at home. They are not whingers, they’re stoics who rarely moan.
They are the human face of the care crisis. The truth is the Government has created it and is doing little to get us out.
It is a disgrace that 90 people a day die waiting for care. So, what has gone so badly wrong?
Funding from central government to local authorities has been cut year after year so councils don’t have the cash to help. Early intervention has gone out the window.
People are not going to hospital early enough. They’re being admitted when they’re really unwell, which means they stay longer.
Patients ready for discharge become bedblockers because of the lack of care in the community.
GPs have been put under pressure, making it harder to get appointments. When carers arrive at homes, they can often only stay for 15 minutes.
The carers may be on zero hours contracts and have to pay their own fares so they are struggling too. Many are from abroad, so we can expect Brexit to reduce their numbers. We can reduce the suffering of Britain’s elderly. The question is: does the Government want to?