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A recent report from Age UK shows that 2 million older people in England are now living with some unmet need for social care, a figure that is steadily rising and has been for some time. In 2016 the figure was 1.2 million, which was an increase of 48% from 2010.

The 2024 data shows that of older people aged 65:

• 10% (1.1 million) of older people have difficult dressing
• 5% (500,000) of older people have difficulty walking across a room
• 6% (640,000) of older people have difficulty bathing
• 1% (140,000) of older people have difficulty eating
• 6% (600,000) of older people have difficulty getting in and out of bed
• 4% (440,000) of older people have difficulty going to the toilet

The charity’s report: The State of Health and Care of Older People in 2024 says England’s health and care services continue to be under enormous pressure so that, despite the best efforts of many dedicated staff, they are currently unable to meet the needs of older people who require treatment, care and support.

Turning to private care for help

Since Covid the report finds there has been a decline in capacity, service availability and performance, with extremely worrying implications for older people and their families and unpaid carers. This is all the more concerning in light of a rising older population, the growth of which will accelerate still further over the next decade, increasing by a projected 4.3 million by 2044.

With this pressure and the ever-increasing waits for social services, many people are turning to private care for immediate help. Angel Carers hourly visiting care is a perfect choice for those who need help with key activities during the day or night. Our Domiciliary Care service starts from just 30 minutes per care visit and can be extended to as many hours as you require, day or night. 

The report also finds older people are often struggling due to insufficient access to high quality NHS treatment, as well as social services, and that the system is currently under-prepared for population ageing.

Prevention and early intervention critical for staying well

The report does, however, show that significant numbers of emergency hospital admissions could be avoided if the right kind of help was provided earlier on, before relatively minor health problems develop into full scale crises.

Age UK strongly supports Lord Darzi’s conclusion that the answer lies in focusing more on prevention and early intervention, supporting older people at home or in a care home to stay fit and well.

At Angel Carers, the primary aim our Prevention of Hospital Admission service is to reduce the need for hospitalisation. Our one-to-one care enables us to notice detailed changes in our client’s health.

We continuously risk-assess our clients and have various screening tools to help reduce the risk of dehydration, falls, and pressure sores to name a few… And our expertise and experience, and quick response times often mean the difference between hospital admission or timely care at home.

Age UK warn that very old people aged over 80 are often not getting the good and timely NHS treatment, care and support. 28% are living with some unmet need for social care, and the very old are the most likely to experience long waits in A&E, having arrived there by ambulance, with many having complex health and care needs the system is often unable to meet.

Age UK say there are some isolated, excellent examples of good practice which could be scaled up, possibly via the NHS Ten Year Plan. The charity calls for earlier intervention and better joined up working, so older people in declining health can be identified and assessed, and benefit from proactive support. Age UK press release.

For more information contact@angelcarers.com

Or ring us on 01308 459204