Friday 14th November 2008
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- That people find Health and Social Care systems is very complicated and hard to understand-particularly by isolated older people in need of care who are often in no fit state to negotiate their way through the system.
- The whole system of care seems to be constantly changing, and we consider there is a need for an ongoing and regularly updated ‘Ethel and George Diary' to make it clear to people what services are available.
- There is a need for a simpler and more user friendly system of care that is accessible to all people.
- The NHS complaints system is very confusing to most people and needs to be made clearer.
- There is an unmet need for advocacy services.
- The value of groups such as this to aid development of policies and procedures for Health and Social Care, which allows people who the services are deigned for to have a meaningful input.
- Yawning gaps between health and local authority professionals rhetoric and reality, leaving people without the care they need.
- Need for this work to be ongoing to allow continuing engagement and involvement.
Community care for the elderly
The maze that is the menu of community care for elderly people is complex enough for many to find their way around, but searching for appropriate help is often blocked by piles of criteria which for far too many people blocks any hope of help they may have entertained. Too many of this government's changes in the name of increased choice are little more than a veil for privatising our valued public services and cutting the level of provision in the process. Nowhere is this more evident than the provision for elderly care in the community. How on earth can someone unable to do their own shopping, surviving on a state pension, afford to pay £11 per hour for someone from Age Concern to do their shopping? Congratulations to the North Staffs Pensioners' Convention which has just published their excellent report, The Long and Winding Road. In just ten pages they provide a crystal clear picture of the pitfalls elderly people must navigate to attempt to access the help they need. It is the result of a careful, detailed two-year research project undertaken by a specially established group. I am sure it will make people stop and re-think the present system of service. The report's 8 key findings underline the urgency for action:Back to entries Comment on this entry