Health needs social care, conference told

Social care is as important to the health of
older people as the NHS, a conference on the older people’s
national service framework was told earlier this month.

Helen
Robinson, the Department of Health’s branch head for the older
people’s framework, said that the restructuring of the NHS has
caused some delays in the implementation of the framework, but once
the new structures are in place the momentum will be
regained.

An
attitude change “has to happen” to tackle age discrimination she
said, although intermediate care is well ahead of interim targets.
She added that there are many issues to be sorted out before it
becomes a mainstream service.

A
trustee of the Relatives and Residents Association said that there
were people experiencing problems leaving intermediate care because
there were not enough therapists.

The
conference, held in London, was organised by the Centre for Policy
on Ageing.