CARE PLANNING
Secret to Positive Ageing
The key to effective care planning for the future lies in enabling the older population to live independently in their own homes through the use of innovative technology, says Helen Dempster, Chief Visionary at Karantis360.
The United Nations’ World Population Prospects 2019 predicted that by the year 2050, one in six people will be over the age of 65 and for the first time, there will be more over 65s in the world than 15-24-year-olds. In essence, we are an ageing population that are living longer year-on-year due to medical and technological advances.
“Skills for Care has estimated a need for between 650,000 and almost one million more social care roles by 2035.”
These statistics are particularly true of the UK, where 22.9% of the population – equivalent to 12.4 million people – are over 65 years old and are beginning to consider their future care needs. However, an ageing demographic has wide ranging implications not only for the individuals themselves but also for society and the economy, not to mention the considerable pressure it places on public services.
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So how will we address this growing situation and what plans will we put in place to ensure we provide adequate social care for our ageing nation? Our social care system is already reaching breaking point; it has been the victim of unprecedented cuts to public services since 2010, which has seen local authorities reduce their spending despite rising demand. Also, the caring profession has attracted a negative reputation of late with these types of roles being considered unskilled and underpaid and this could perhaps be seen as a true reflection of the Government’s lack of interest in social care to date contributing to one in ten social care roles remaining unfilled.
Further, Skills for Care has estimated a need for between 650,000 and almost one million more social care roles by 2035. With the Prime Minister, still unable to reveal his plan to ‘fix social care’ more than two years on, the outlook is decidedly bleak.
However, there are many alternative care strategies available to us as a nation, which may help address the social care workforce deficit, alleviate the demand for care home places and hospital beds and provide more choice for older people in the UK.
ADDRESSING NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS
In general, the perception of technology among older people tends to be quite negative with suspicion for something that is seen as a tool for the younger generation, oſten
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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