Category: Older People

More harm than good: why more isn’t always better with older people’s medicines

Age UK, August 2019

Age UK report that calls for a more considered approach to prescribing medicines for our older population. It says too many older people in our society are on too many prescribed medicines, putting them at risk of side effects that in a worrying number of cases can lead to falls and a range of other serious harms. The report also provides evidence showing that prescribing more drugs isn’t always the best option, particularly when it comes to older people.

Click here to view the full report.

Care in places: inequalities in local authority adult social care spending power

The Salvation Army, July 2019

The International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) was commissioned by The Salvation Army to explore local-level inequalities in adult social care. It reveals there is significantly less money to care for older people who live in rural areas across England. Adult social care is largely funded by local business rates, council tax and other local charges but areas with lower house prices, fewer businesses and lower populations cannot raise as much money as more urban areas. This has led to deep levels of funding inequality across the entire country and prevents most local authorities from providing adequate social care for older residents.

Click here to view the full report.

Inquiry into decent and accessible homes for older people

All Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People, July 2019

All Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People report following an in-depth inquiry to understand the detrimental impact of poor housing on older people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing. An estimate of some of the costs of poor housing for the NHS suggests £1.4 billion per year. The report contains 13 recommendations that look at the impact of poor quality, inaccessible housing on health, issues in supported housing and the private rented sector and the importance of home improvement agencies.

Click here to view the full report.

Ageing cohort of drug users

Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, June 2019

This report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) explores the specific issues for older people with a drug problem focusing on those who have had a drug problem for an extended period of time. It describes the health and social care needs of this population, and identifies effective services responses and best practice. It finds that the past decade has seen a shift in the age profile of those seeking treatment for drug use. An ageing cohort, who have survived lengthy histories of heavy drug use, now account for an increasing portion of the treatment group in the UK and Europe.

Click here to view the full report.

Raising the equality flag: Health inequalities among older LGBT people in the UK

International Longevity Centre UK, May 2019
This report highlights new findings from a recent project to explore the discrepancies in health outcomes experienced by older LGBT people.  The research reveals that a lifetime of prejudice and stigma is leading to worse physical and mental health, poorer access to health and social care, as well as greater levels of social isolation and loneliness among older LGBT people.  The report calls for action to address health inequalities for older LGBT people through improving the inclusivity of mainstream health and care provision, strengthening the training of health and care staff, and enhancing data collection around older LGBT people and their health and care needs.
Click here to view the full report.

Productive healthy ageing: interventions for quality of life

Public Health England, March 2019
This document lists interventions that can be made by pharmacy teams, to help older people to lead more independent lives and improve their health.
The document includes interventions based around:

  • preventing falls
  • dementia
  • physical inactivity
  • social isolation, and loneliness
  • malnutrition

In addition to pharmacy teams, the guidance can be consulted by pharmaceutical and medical committees, local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and local NHS England teams.
Click here to view the document.

The State of Ageing in 2019

Centre for Ageing Better, March 2019
This report uses publicly available data to give a snapshot of what life is like for people aged 65 and older today. It then investigates the prospects for people currently in their 50s and 60s with regards to work, finances, health, housing and community support.  It looks at the implications of an increasingly ageing society for the individual, government, business and wider society.
Click here to view the full report.

The next generation: how intergenerational interaction improves life chances of children and young people

United for All Ages, January 2019
This report looks at how intergenerational interaction can have benefits for children and young people who currently face a growing crisis of confidence, loneliness and anxiety, often fearful about the future, fragmented families, segregated by age, with cuts in services and financial support.  The report finds that interaction between older and younger people can help address these issues – starting at an early age with nurseries and care homes linking, through schools, colleges and universities, to mentoring and community projects.

Click here to view the full report.

Promoting independence through intermediate care: A quick guide for staff delivering intermediate care services

Social Care Institute for Excellence, December 2018
Intermediate care involves working closely with people to agree what intensive support they need to improve their independence.  This quick guide from the Social Care Institute for Excellence outlines how intermediate care functions.
Click here to view the guide.

Help at home: Use of assistive technology for older people

National Institute for Health Research, December 2018
This review presents a selection of recent research on assistive technology for older people funded by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and other government funders. This has been selected with help from an expert steering group. In this review we focus on research around the use of technology in the home, remote monitoring systems and designing better environments for older people.
Click here to view the full report.