Survey about care for older people

Research on the care of older people

During February 2005, two pieces of new, original research were conducted on behalf of Community Care.

Our survey of 1,450 professionals who work with older people found:









Bubbles - Old Woman  

1. 85 per cent think the political debate around bed-blocking, waiting lists and the cost of old-age care treats older people as an inconvenient and expensive burden. Just 7 per cent disagree



2. Almost 90 per cent think the pressure on hospital beds mean older people are being sent home too early


3. 94 per cent think supporting people to stay independent is better than providing long-term residential care.


4. More than 95 per cent say there aren’t enough good quality services for older people with mental health problems


5. 93 per cent think if we met older people’s needs earlier, we could prevent many admissions to hospital


6. 85 per cent think as a society we need to pay more to ensure older people get good services.


7. Nine out of 10 people think better services for older people would save money in the long run


8. 96 per cent think care services for older people will need to change drastically to cope with changing expectations as society ages


9. Almost two thirds of people don’t think the contribution older people make to society is valued, compared to 27 per cent who do


10. 43 per cent don’t think older people receive good quality care in hospitals and residential care homes – 27 per cent think they do


11. Almost one third of people agree or strongly agree that most staff working with older people are adequately trained. 49 per cent disagree or strongly disagree

12. Our survey found people’s views divided on whether the public cares about how older people are treated. 35% say yes, 35% say no.

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