A report examined first-hand accounts of the hospital care of older patients. It highlighted serious failings in standards of nursing care, poor communication with relatives, and an ineffective complaints-handling system.
Source: Listen to Patients, Speak Up for Change, Patients Association
Links: Report | Patients Association press release | RCN press release | BBC report | Nursing Times report
Date: 2010-Dec
A new book examined future research challenges for social scientists concerning population ageing, pensions, health, and social care in Europe.
Source: Lans Bovenberg, Arthur Van Soest and Asghar Zaidi (eds.), Ageing, Health and Pensions in Europe: An economic and social policy perspective, Palgrave Macmillan
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Dec
Researchers examined the use and estimated costs of hospital and social care services for large groups of individuals at the end of their lives.
Source: Martin Bardsley, Theo Georghiou and Jennifer Dixon, Social Care and Hospital Use at the End of Life, Nuffield Trust
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report said that hospitals in England were guilty of 'organizational failures' in dealing with the needs of elderly surgery patients. Only 38 per cent of patients over 80, who later died in hospital within 30 days of surgery, had received 'good care'.
Source: Kathy Wilkinson et al., An Age Old Problem: A review of the care received by elderly patients undergoing surgery, National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death
Links: Report | Summary | Age UK press release | NHS Confederation press release | Patients Association press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined the quality of assessment of older people in England with complex health and social care needs. Policy initiatives to address the difficulties in assessment needed to be more prescriptive if they were to produce the intended outcomes.
Source: David Challis, Michele Abendstern, Paul Clarkson, Jane Hughes and Caroline Sutcliffe, 'Comprehensive assessment of older people with complex care needs: the multi-disciplinarity of the single assessment process in England', Ageing and Society, Volume 30 Issue 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Oct
An article said that health and social services were facing a new challenge, as many users of illicit drugs got older and faced chronic health problems and a reduced quality of life.
Source: Brenda Roe, Caryl Beynon, Lucy Pickering and Paul Duffy, 'Experiences of drug use and ageing: health, quality of life, relationship and service implications', Journal of Advanced Nursing, Volume 66 Issue 9
Date: 2010-Sep
A paper reviewed emerging evidence around prevention in older people's services.
Source: Kerry Allen and Jon Glasby, 'The Billion Dollar Question': Embedding Prevention in Older People's Services – 10 'high impact' changes, Health Services Management Centre/University of Birmingham
Links: Paper | HSMC press release
Date: 2010-Aug
A new book examined ageing, health, and care.
Source: Christina Victor, Ageing, Health and Care, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Jul
Four linked reviews found widespread evidence of the unjustified differential treatment of older people as a group in both health and social care services.
Source: Angela Clark, Ageism and Age Discrimination in Primary and Community Health Care in the United Kingdom: A review from the literature, Centre for Policy on Ageing | Nat Lievesley, Ageism and Age Discrimination in Secondary Health Care in the United Kingdom: A review from the literature, Centre for Policy on Ageing | Nat Lievesley, Ageism and Age Discrimination in Mental Health Care in the United Kingdom: A review from the literature, Centre for Policy on Ageing | Angela Clark, Ageism and Age Discrimination in Social Care in the United Kingdom: A review from the literature, Centre for Policy on Ageing
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | Report (4) | CPA press release
Date: 2010-Jan
