Effectiveness of care for older people: a review (original) (raw)
PubMed, 1995
"Although the U.K.'s population is not predicted to grow very much in the future, the population structure is changing and there is a shift towards a much older age distribution. The characteristics of demographic aging in the U.K. include a marked reduction in fertility rates, increasing rates of life expectation at birth..., increasing dependency ratios and variations in mortality and social class in old age. The U.K.'s demographic context has important implications for aged care policy and planning. This paper documents the demographic trends, reviews recent major policy changes and their impact on care provision, and discusses some of the emerging implementation issues that challenge the potential of such policies to meet the needs of an aging population."
The impact of ageing on the NHS
2022
The human body is, by definition, a "corpus". This Latin term emphasises the synergy and interdependence of each of its parts. There is no scientific basis for estimating the number of specialists of various types needed to meet the population's needs of the type of interventions that confer benefit. However, it is virtually certain that the proper functioning of the filter could free up more time for properly deployed specialists to provide services that would significantly improve health and, above all, equity in health. Recognition of the importance of first contact function in Primary Care as a filter and coordinator , should lead us to better clinical outcomes for the most part. The government should recognise, protect, and prioritise, the role of the Primary Care interface.
Our ageing population: how ageing affects health and care need in England
2021
We would also like to thank the Inclusion Panel for their time and the thoughtful discussion we had regarding this work. Their contributions about the role of different report formats particularly impacted this work. We would also like to especially thank the panel members who shared their own experiences of social care.
The impact of ageing on expenditures in the National Health Service
Age and Ageing, 2002
Background: health policy makers in many countries have expressed concern over the pressures that increased numbers of older people will exert on health care costs. Previous studies have shown that, in addition to increasing size of older populations, per capita expenditures have risen disproportionately among the old compared to the middle age groups. Documentation of such trends is essential for more accurate projection of health expenditures. Objective: we examined detailed national age-specific expenditure trends for England and Wales, comparing findings with Canada, Japan, and Australia. Methods: we obtained total health expenditures for each age group from the UK Department of Health for time periods 1985-87 to 1996-99. We examined changes in age-specific per capita expenditure, population demographics, and the allocation of national expenditures to the different age groups. We then determined the association of changes in population, age structure, and age-specific per capita expenditure to increases in national health care expenditure for England and Wales, comparing results to Canada, Japan, and Australia. Results: per capita health expenditures in England and Wales increased by 8% for ages 65 and over, compared to 31% for ages 5-64. Hence the proportion of total expenditures allocated to the population aged 65 and over decreased from 40% to 35%, a trend most noticeable for non-acute hospital costs. Demographic shifts and population growth accounted for only 18% of the observed increases in health care expenditures in England and Wales, compared to 68%, 44%, and 34% in Japan, Canada, and Australia respectively. Conclusions: in contrast to other countries, England and Wales had slower rises in per capita costs and a decreasing proportion of national expenditures allocated to older people. These differences invite future research into the actual demand drivers of these costs.
BMJ Open
ObjectiveTo describe, using data from the Newcastle 85+ cohort study, the use of primary care and other healthcare services by 85-year-olds as they age.DesignLongitudinal population-based cohort study.SettingNewcastle on Tyne and North Tyneside, UK.ParticipantsCommunity dwelling and institutionalised men and women recruited through general practices (n=845, 319 men and 526 women).ResultsContact was established with 97% (n=1409/1459) of eligible 85-year-olds, consent obtained from 74% (n=1042/1409) and 851 agreed to undergo the multidimensional health assessment and a general practice medical records review. A total of 845 participants had complete data at baseline for this study (319 male, 526 female), with 344 (118 male, 226 female) reinterviewed at 60 months. After adjusting for confounders, all consultations significantly increased over the 5 years (incidence rate ratio, IRR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05, P=0.001) as did general practitioner (GP) consultations (IRR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01 ...
Expected lifetime costs of social care for people aged 65 and over in England
Estimates of lifetime costs of care are very relevant to the current debate about how best to fund care and support in England. Individuals, especially those whose savings would render them ineligible for publicly funded care, will want to know broadly how much long-term care toward the end of their life may cost. This information could help them make informed decisions about how much to save or whether to seek private insurance for care costs.
No scope for complacency: time to improve healthcare for older people
The Psychiatrist
SummaryThe Equality Act 2010 should prevent age discrimination in the provision of healthcare and other services in the UK. The Royal College of Psychiatrists' Faculty of the Psychiatry of Old Age and General & Community Psychiatry Faculty have offered constructive guidance to help achieve this. However, there are pitfalls. First, legislation does not guarantee enforcement. Second, discrimination in the form of persisting negative attitudes of society towards older people and their ability to benefit from health interventions is associated with a deficit in funding old age services that has accumulated gradually during the 60 years of the National Health Service. These difficulties will need to be overcome to achieve effective implementation of the Act.