Health needs

This blog is part of a series called the NewOld - a Dementia Trust project exploring difficult topics and points of view.

Statistics and evidence matter on the lived experience of real people. They make it harder to ignore big issues, but do not always help get us near to solutions.

In 2017 Ipsos MORI, in association with the NIHR School for Social Care Research, Age UK, NatCen Social Research and Independent Age, have produced a report exploring the nature and extent of “unmet needs” for social care among older persons living in their own homes. This research involved analysis of survey data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and Health Survey for England (HSE), and found that probably over half of older people with social care needs have unmet needs. This is true of both people eligible for local authority support and for self-funders. People living alone appear to be particularly vulnerable.

Here is the Executive Summary.

It is worth the few minutes it takes to read as it should stimulate anger and desire to change things. If it doesn’t the NewOld may not be for you.