Thousands of seriously ill patients are dying while
waiting for basic care at home, figures reveal.
In the past three years at least 2,037 adults died
before care visits could be arranged in their homes.
Many are likely to have had illnesses such as
terminal cancer, dementia or motor neurone disease which leave them housebound
and dependent on help.
Thousands of seriously ill patients are dying while
waiting for basic care at home, figures reveal.
In the worst cases, vulnerable patients were
waiting for nine months for care to be arranged before they died.
Many were forced to spend their final weeks in
hospital as care that would have allowed them to die at home was never
arranged.
Others may have passed away at home having become
increasingly reliant on family members for basic daily tasks.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who obtained
the data, said the delays were ‘utterly scandalous’ and exposed the human cost
of the social care crisis.
‘Behind these figures are real people with real
stories of desperation and misery that would break your heart,’ he said.
‘Imagine it was your mum or your son waiting months for the help they need to
live their life.
‘It is unacceptable that some people face this
indignity – this has to change.’
The delays have come about because council social
care budgets have been progressively slashed and cannot meet the needs of the
increasingly dependent population.
This has a knock-on effect on the NHS when frail
patients end up in A&E or stuck on wards as bed-blockers, unable to be
discharged. The details were obtained
However, only 183 local authorities replied out of
around 400 so the actual number dying while waiting for care could be much
higher.
Essex County Council admitted a patient had died
after waiting up to 251 days – almost nine months – for a care package. And a
patient covered by Sefton Council in Merseyside waited 239 days – just over
eight months.
Several of the local authorities blamed the delays
on high numbers needing care, and experts say the problem will only get worse
because of growing pressures on council social care budgets.
Chris James, of the Motor Neurone Disease
Association, said: ‘No one should die waiting for care packages.
‘Motor
neurone disease often progresses rapidly and many people with MND have to fight
hard to get the care they need, which adds unnecessary stress and burden on to
what is already a devastating disease for the person with MND, their carers and
family.
‘As pressures on continuing health care and social care
funding grow, the potential is for this situation to only get much worse.’
Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said: ‘It is
desperately sad to hear that some highly vulnerable older people are granted
entitlement to care but then find it takes so long for their council to source
it that they die waiting.
‘This is a tragedy for them and their families and
shows just how ramshackle and dysfunctional the social care system has become.’
Scott Sinclair, of the Marie Curie cancer charity,
said: ‘Delays in access to social care are a significant problem for people who
are dying – and their families – as they can prevent them getting home or into
a care home in their last days and weeks.’
Chancellor Philip Hammond tried to address the
social care crisis in last month’s Budget with a £2billion funding boost.
But many experts say the whole health and social
care system needs to be completely reformed, with new taxes to raise more
money.
SOURCE:Daily Mail, Sophie Borland
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