‘Catastrophic’ Cuts for Elderly Care says Major Charity

Thursday, 6th March 2014

A damning report published today from Age UK reveals that spending on social care services for the elderly population across the UK has dropped by at least £769 million since 2010.

According to the report ‘Care in Crisis 2014’ there is an estimated 800,000 elderly people going without much needed help and support to undertake daily living tasks such as eating, dressing washing and house cleaning.

Since 2006 the total number of older service users supported by local authorities dropped by 35%, and the number of older people receiving residential and nursing services fell by 17%.

Age UK blame the squeeze on local government funding. Many local authorities have seen budget cuts up to 15% over the past three years and these cuts have had a massive impact on services to the nation’s elderly.

Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said “The figures we have uncovered in this report are catastrophic. Older people who need help are now not getting it and are placed at significant risk with families who care for loved ones experiencing intolerable strain.”

She went on to say “If older people do not receive the care they need and as a consequence end up in A&E units and hospital wards, we have simply shifted people around the system at great financial cost and created distress and disruption for older people in the process. This makes absolutely no moral or economic sense.”

“At the moment too many older people who have contributed to society throughout their lives are being left to fend for themselves when they need care and support. We cannot continue to sacrifice their safety, health and dignity. Too many older people have suffered already. It is time for politicians in all parties to act.”