An article said that care home residents were missing out on access to specialist care from older people's doctors, contrary to official guidance.
Source: Claire Steves, Rebekah Schiff and Finbarr Martin, 'Geriatricians and care homes: perspectives from geriatric medicine departments and primary care trusts', Clinical Medicine, Volume 9 Number 6
Links: Article | BGS press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Dec
The government began consultation on measures required to prepare the National Health Service and social care services in England for the age discrimination requirements in the Equality Bill.
Source: Age Equality in Health and Social Care, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Consultation document | DH press release | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Nov
An article examined a longitudinal analysis of a sample of residents aged 65 or over when interviewed for the 1994 General Household Survey, and the associations between personal characteristics and the probability of survival during a ten-year follow-up period. Smoking was the most important factor of those measured in determining the likelihood of survival. Type of housing tenure and region of residence were better predictors of mortality risk than occupation-based social class.
Source: Brian Johnson and Ann Langford, 'Demographic, behavioural and socio-economic influences on the survival of retired people – Evidence from a ten year follow up study of the General Household Survey, 1994', Health Statistics Quarterly 44, Winter 2009, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article | ONS press release
Date: 2009-Nov
A report said that mental health services needed to abolish the 'arbitrary' division between provision for working-age adults and provision for older people. The traditional division between the two meant that services were being delivered on the basis of age, not need. People aged over 65 often lacked the support that was available to those under pensionable age.
Source: Age Discrimination in Mental Health Services: Making equality a reality, Royal College of Psychiatrists (020 7235 2351)
Links: Report | RCPsych press release | Community Care report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Oct
The report of an official review examined age discrimination and age equality in the health and social care sector in England. It included a recommendation to implement the Equality Bill's age discrimination ban in health and social care at the same time as in other sectors. The government said that it was 'minded to accept' the review's recommendation on the timing of implementation.
Source: Ian Carruthers and Jan Ormondroyd, Achieving Age Equality in Health and Social Care, Department of Health (08701 555455) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 22 October 2009, column 72WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Annex | Hansard | NHS press release | WRVS press release | RCPsych press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Oct
A report said that little progress had been made in improving mental health services for black and minority-ethnic older people since 2001.
Source: Psychiatric Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Older People, College Report CR156, Royal College of Psychiatrists (020 7235 2351)
Links: Report | RCPsych press release
Date: 2009-Aug
A study found that wealth and social class had a greater impact on the health and well-being of elderly people than had previously been realized.
Source: James Nazroo, Inequalities in Health in an Aging Population: Patterns, causes and consequences, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: ESRC press release | Manchester University press release
Date: 2009-May
The healthcare inspectorate said that older people were often denied equal access to mental health services in England. There was a lack of appropriate provision for people aged over 65, and limited national data on the quality of specialist older people's care. Out-of-hours and crisis services often only took referrals for people under 65 or for conditions other than dementia.
Source: Equality in Later Life: A national study of older people's mental health services, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report | CHAI press release | Mind press release | Help the Aged press release | Alzheimers Society press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Mar
An article examined whether wealth gradients in the incidence of illness declined with age; and, if so, whether this decline was explained by differential mortality. Socio-economic inequality in developing new health problems persisted into old age for certain illnesses, particularly functional impairment: but not for heart disease. Selective mortality explained only some of the decline in health inequalities with age.
Source: Anne McMunn, James Nazroo and Elizabeth Breeze, 'Inequalities in health at older ages: a longitudinal investigation of the onset of illness and survival effects in England', Age and Ageing, Volume 38 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2009-Feb
The government launched a national dementia strategy for England, designed to increase awareness of dementia, ensure early diagnosis and intervention, and radically improve the quality of care that people with the condition received.
Source: Living Well with Dementia: A National Dementia Strategy, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Strategy | Summary | Impact assessment | DH press release | Alzheimers Society press release | LGA press release | RCN press release | PRTC press release | UKHCA press release | Carers UK press release | Counsel and Care press release | NCF press release | RNHA press release | Help the Aged press release | MHF press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Pulse report
Date: 2009-Feb
