Over 60% of people over the age of 50 who were questioned think that older people are treated badly by Government, and the most common reason for this belief was poor standards of social care.
These are the findings of a recent survey by Age UK, which also revealed that 70% of those aged 50-64 are not confident that that older people receiving care services are treated with dignity and respect.
Age UK has issued ‘Five challenges to Government on care’, which lay out the key factors that the charity believes will be pivotal to determining whether the current social care reforms succeed or fail. They are:
- The new national eligibility threshold must be set at moderate or its equivalent.
- There must be enough investment into the social care system so it is fully funded and able to deliver care and support to older people who need it.
- Changes must be communicated to older people and their families so they understand ‘the deal’ on offer.
- The rates for care that go towards the cap or are paid by local authorities must be fair and reflect the true cost of providing decent quality care.
- There must be a straightforward and fair way to complain.
‘Our survey shows that three quarters of 50-65s think the social care on offer is nowhere near good enough for their loved ones today, or for themselves tomorrow if they should need it as they grow older,” commented Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK. “Two thirds of them think the Government treats older people badly as a result, highlighting how strongly they feel about our creaking social care system.
“The core of the problem is that funding for social care has failed and is still failing to keep up with ever increasing demand, putting the whole system on the verge of collapse.”
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Contact our family law solicitors based in Edinburgh, Scotland, to find out how we can help you with issues around going into care. Click here to contact us or telephone 0131 202 7516.
