Health needs of oldest old not being met

Categories: Care.

Age UK’s new report into the lives and health of people over 85 highlights the problems of a health service that treats conditions in isolation. Most 85-year-olds have between three and six long-term conditions and this means they are attending multiple clinics that are often inconvenient and conflicting.

Age UK asked experts to summarise what’s known in their area of research about people aged 85 and over, and set out their advice. These summaries have been published in the new report, ‘Improving later life: understanding the oldest old’, which can be downloaded from the Age UK website.

Finbarr Martin, a consultant physician, discusses the importance of treating people as individuals and of good co-ordination of care across services and specialities. Ann Netten, professor of social welfare, highlights the importance of integration across health, housing and social care in improving older people’s lives.

Michelle Mitchell, Age UK’s charity director general, said: “Above all, this report finds that older people need to be cared about, not just cared for. This means listening and responding to an individual’s views and choices, so that an all-important sense of dignity and identity can be maintained throughout a person’s life course.

“Age UK hopes the report will positively challenge policy makers, medical researchers, health and social care professionals to develop research programmes and tailored public services to support the new generation of the oldest old.”

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