Better OAP care needed to support the NHS

Another "chaotic" winter in the NHS could be avoided by doing more to support older people to stay well at home, a charity says.

Age UK described the health and care system for older people as "clunky and under-resourced", especially when it comes to community and social care.

It says better care and support "delivered proactively" in the community before an older person's health deteriorates can avoid the need to go to hospital and therefore help alleviate pressures on the NHS.

The charity said its latest report is a new analysis of existing data.

It said that more than two thirds of people over 85 live with multiple conditions – and 35% of older people are living with some form of frailty.

It has previously estimated that more than 1.6million older people have some level of care and support need, such as help to get dressed or washed.

Age UK said avoidable hospital admissions for conditions that should be managed in the community, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, have risen for older people in the five years up to 2020.

The latest data also shows that 49% of all people arriving in A&E by ambulance are over 65, and 35% are over 75.

The charity’s head of health and social care, Ruthe Isden said: "We know what happens when we don't support this group of people.

"They are kind of falling chaotically into the acute system.

"If improvements are not made we will see an NHS and social care system whose resources are increasingly focused into managing just the sort of chaotic outcome.”