Scottish Government statement of intent for the health and social care for older people welcomed

The Scottish Government’s statement of intent for the health and social care of older people is very welcome and outlines well the reasons why this is necessary.

Its vision is one we share and have long been advocating for. We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow old and for people to be able to live independently and well for as long as possible with high quality health and social care to support them to do so.

We know Scotland’s population is ageing at a faster rate than the rest of the UK, so the government’s planned integrated health and social care strategy for older people cannot come soon enough. As the statement highlights, the gap between healthy life expectancy in the most deprived and least deprived areas is widening – more must be done to tackle this.

Our health and social care services must adapt to enable more and more people to to live independently and well for as long as possible as they grow older. The preventative, joined-up approach to healthy ageing envisaged by the government is good and matches our aim to help older people be as well as they can be.

It is right to acknowledge that Scotland’s older people have been some of the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. While the pandemic has turned everyone’s lives upside down, older people have been most impacted by death and sever ill health. They have also been faced with the loss or pausing of community activities and groups and significant barriers to keeping in touch with friends and family. The level of loneliness among older people was high before the pandemic, and was a public health crisis on its own, but has been severely exacerbated over the last 12 months. Older people have also had to face a narrative which at times focused on their expendability and deal with concerns about access to medical treatment – not least through the improper use of DNACPR decisions.

In light of our concerns around DNACPR – and our recent call for an inquiry into the issue – the statement’s commitment that “older people must lead the decision making around their care and treatment” is reassuring.

The inclusion of prevention at the centre of the new strategy is very welcome indeed, and one which is all too often missed when it comes to healthcare. Implementing measures which will help older people stay well for longer will improve quality of life immeasurably. Such measures are a valuable investment rather than a cost.

The endorsement of a home first approach is also welcome – unnecessary hospital stays can have a negative impact on an individual’s independence, confidence and physical condition so it is important the option to be treated at home and in their community is available, with appropriate and safe levels of patient care. This intention should also be supported by access to cost-effective ways to make adaptations to homes which will allow people to remain living independently and help prevent the need for hospital admission.

This is a good piece of work and we look forward to continuing our engagement with the Scottish Government on this issue and in the development of the strategy going forward, including as a member of the Older People’s Strategic Action Forum.