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Hospitalised Elderly Trapped

Hospitalised elderly trapped in hospital with nowhere to turn.

The shocking report from Age UK regarding the Hospitalised elderly trapped with nowhere for them to go should be addressed by the Government as a priority. To read the report click here. It was also reported in the Guardian and elsewhere to raise awareness.

Why are the hospitalised elderly trapped?

When seeking to save money and reduce preventable deaths and injury it is imperative that the elderly spend no more time in hospital than is absolutely necessary.

Age UK found that patients were spending a total of nearly 2.5 million days stuck in a hospital over the past five years. In 2014-15 the figures increased by 19% on the previous year. Of those, 174,000 elderly waited for a residential home place, 216,000 waited for a nursing home place, 206,000 waited for help from social care workers or district nurses to get people back into their own home and 41,400 waiting for ramps or stair lifts to be installed into patients’ homes.

The reason they were stuck was due to delayed assessments, a shortage of care home places, a lack of district nurses to help them in their own home, or aids and appliances to assist them when they got home. Such structured care on discharge is necessary to prevent repeated admissions.

Age UK said it was bad for patients’ health, a waste of NHS resources and a huge cost to taxpayers.

What can be done about it?

Hospitalised elderly trapped – there is much you and the Government can do.

More funds are desperately needed to be allocated for GP’s and district nurses assist those who are able to return home. More funds are needed for nursing and care homes to provide better training and services and clearly more well run care homes are needed for both long and short term rehabilitation and care.

If it costs nearly £2,000 per week for an NHS bed in comparison to around £560 per week in residential care the additional funds do not necessarily need to be ‘found’ but ‘reallocated’ and joined up care should be made a priority. Hospitalised Elderly Trapped

if you have concerns about a hospitalised elderly trapped then contact us. If your loved one is trapped in hospital and not receiving the care they need there are things you can do.

Are they being well fed? Are they hydrated? Have they had a fall?

With increased pressures on the NHS and inadequate care and training for dementia sufferers, our loved ones are suffering.

We have a specialised department for elder care. Call for free advice on 0845 676 9228  or Dr Victoria Handley on vhandley@handleylaw.co.uk

We care for those in care.


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