Care for the Elderly: 'Most Will Have Little Choice but to Seek Help

Evening News, Edinburgh

February 15, 2008 

Scotland

It is a sad fact that a large proportion of Scotland's population will die before their time through years of deprivation and an unhealthy lifestyle. But enough will live until a ripe old age to pose new challenges for the health and welfare systems.

The latest Government statistics predict that while the number of people of working age will increase by only 200,000 between now and 2031, the number of pensioners could rise by a staggering 31 per cent to around 1.29 million.

Much is being done through public health education to raise life expectancy in the worst areas and to allow more people to become self-sufficient in their twilight years. But the reality is that age will catch up and most will have little choice but to seek help.

To date there are 33,000 elderly people in Scotland's care homes of which 29,000 have their bills met by the state. Were it not for free personal care at home introduced in 2002 this figure would be far higher.

But this service comes at a price to local authorities. While Edinburgh has been criticised for taking 37 days against a national average of only 20 to process care requests, the city says that meeting its obligations under the free personal care scheme has cost city taxpayers £34 million since its launch.

But while it is easy to become bogged down in figures, the victims of any failures in the system are the elderly themselves and the wrangle over the future residents at Cockenzie House Nursing Home emphasises this only too clearly.

The owners of the home want to close it because they do not wish to spend the money needed to bring the premises up to the standard required by the Care Commission. East Lothian Council initially offered to step in and buy the premises but the deal appears to have fallen through as its valuation does not appear to match that of the owner. The council says it can find alternative accommodation for 22 residents, but that leaves 20 in limbo with only a month before the home is due to close.

It is a shocking state of affairs that such vulnerable people find themselves caught up in such a scenario.

Although there is no statistical evidence that mortality rates increase among those exposed to the trauma of moving to unfamiliar surroundings, there is general acceptance that this is true if transfers are badly handled.

To end their uncertainty, a solution needs to be found soon. The elderly are real people, not commodities, and should not be treated as such.

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