Care system jumping from one crisis to another, report warns

Britain’s elderly and vulnerable are being let down by a social care system that goes from one crisis to another, warns a new report by Age UK.

A lack of care has led to a massive increase in avoidable emergency admissions in the past 13 years.

The Age UK report said every 90 seconds an elderly or vulnerable person is re-admitted to their local hospital. The verdict of the report is those living alone are at great risk and the care system is failing to help an increasingly ageing population.

There has been a 63% rise, in England, in the overall rate of avoidable admissions since 2003. This figures have risen by 107% for individuals aged 65 to 69 and by 119% for those aged 75 to 79.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said: “The safety net for older people living at home has worn dangerously thin after years underfunding and an absence of workforce planning across both health and care.”

It’s predicted adult social care services face a £3.5 billion funding gap by 2025, according to the Local Government Association.

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