A new survey highlighting the state of elderly care in the UK has uncovered critical gaps in access to professional care and home care, as well as an overwhelming reliance on family support.
Spearheaded by home care technology provider Birdie, the Village of Care report surveyed Britons aged 70 and over who access care.
The investigation revealed that only 6% of respondents receive state-funded or private home care.
4% reported having district nurses within their care network, and less than 1% are in care homes or assisted living facilities.
These figures exemplify the hardships in accessing professional care services, with an estimated 400,000 people on waiting lists.
Moreover, these issues are likely to originate from financial limitations for private care, a lack of awareness about available services, complex application processes for public care, and regional shortages.
Consquently, families across the UK are bearing the brunt of elderly care needs, supporting over 60% of respondents. However, this reliance on family care is already taking a toll, with 53% saying they need more help than they currently receive.
The report warns that this situation is likely to deteriorate, especially with an ageing population and families that are ill-equipped to take on more complex care demands, creating caregiver burnout and clinical risk as a result.
The rising care needs are also illuminated, with 44% of those 70 and above requiring ongoing support from two or more specialist caregivers.
Yet the findings reveal a need for better communication among caregivers, a lack of which can have consequences for the quality of care, such as delays or errors in medical treatment (37% of surveyed care recipients), and increased stress (33%).
Using digital platforms to connect all care providers and enable them to share data and prevent gaps in care, and transforming care co-ordination by educating about the benefits of information sharing and better supporting informal carers would lead to a more advanced care network for older adults.
These ideas and more are presented in an additional whitepaper produced by Birdie with the input of 20 social care and NHS experts.
The full report can be accessed here.
Max Parmentier, CEO and co-founder of Birdie said: “This investigation is a clarion call to improve access to health and social care.
“The new government is right to focus on community-based care—just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to care for our elders, from GPs and nurses to family and friends.
“However, while this model is essential, it needs urgent support. Unpaid carers, like families and friends, require a national support system.
“We also need urgent reforms to better connect the NHS with home care and other care providers, improve information sharing, and update CQC assessments to ensure our elderly population receives the quality of care they deserve.”
