Live webchat with shadow minister for care and older people, Wednesday 8 Feb, 2-3pm

Really sorry I've got to go now. So many questions I haven't answered but would like to (eg problems in care homes, care for people with Alzheimers). But hopefully I can come back another time. I'm especially keen to hear people's thoughts about attitudes towards older people in society more broadly. not an easy thing for any politician to address but its something I think we need to discuss.
Thank you Gransnet!
Liz

iGran

So often when older people are talked about as a group, the assumption is that we are vulnerable and frail. But this is only true of a minority. While I wouldn't want to undermine the needs of the vulnerable and frail, I think this is sometimes very damaging to the rest of us. It contributes to a sense that we are a drain on society. Do you have any ideas of how to focus on and emphasise what older people can and do contribute to society - and how to get this message across?

I havent got much longer (got to go back and vote) but i really wanted to answer this question. You're absolutely right that whenever we discuss 'older people' it tends to be about care for the vulnerable and frail. As you say, its very important that we provide a decent system of care, but not all older people are frail and vulnerable! They make a huge contribution to their families, to the local community and to the economy (I think of my own parents here...who have not long been retired). Its brilliant that people are living longer - we should celebrate this and see the huge benefits it brings.

graninboots

What do you think of Ed Miliband as Labour leader? HONEST ANSWER please.

I think he is great. He's a man of honesty and integrity, with strong values and principles. He's also really easy to get along with and he listens.

firenze

On the very powerful thread here on Gransnet about ageisim in hospital, one of the suggestions by those of us who are former nurses was to bring back the authoritarian matron and ward sister. Many of us remember being frightened to be seen slacking when we were young nurses. Restoring a hierarchy to nursing would mean you'd never get nurses hanging around the nurses' station talking to each other when there is a patient without a visitor at visiting times, for example. Do you agree?

Lots of people have raised the issue of ageism in hospitals and the appalling cases of bad treatment that have recently, and I'm afraid all too regularly, come to light. I'll try and reply to several of these questions in one... (if that makes sense)

To directly answer this particular question, I think having clear and strong nurse leadership on individual hospital wards is a big part of the solution. I've done a lot of workshadowing in the NHS over the last 12 months and the wards that seem to me to provide the best care for older people and their families have strong leadership from senior ward sisters and matrons.

This leadership has also got to go to the very top - to hospital Boards. I met the President of the British Geriatrics Society yesterday, and he said that hospitals who 'get it right' for older people and their families, will probably get it right for all patients. This issue must be absolutely central to those leading and running our hospitals.

We also need to strike the right balance between academic and practical education and training for nurses, and ensure people coming into the profession understand what nursing really means in the 21st Century.

One nurse involved in education and training recently told me that the first question she asks people who want to become a nurse is 'Do you want to care for older people?' If they say no, she says she tells them nursing probably isn't the right career for them.

But finally (and sorry for the long response) we need to look at wider attitudes in society. I think too often we shut old people away - we're frightened of getting older, particularly now we live so much longer. This is a much bigger and complicated issue to address... thoughts from Gransnetters would be v welcome!

granIT

Do you think social care should be integrated with health services? When money is taken away from care the NHS has to pick up the pieces anyway. Would that help those who allocate the money to see care as a preventative service - saving money in the long run?

Yes, I absolutely think social care should be integrated with health services. The Health Select Committee has published a really good report on this very issue today. We've got to stop seeing local NHS, community, council and housing services separately. As you say, they are in fact crucial to one another. If people can't get the help they need to stay living independently in their own homes, they will end up having to go into hospital or getting stuck in hospital. We're already seeing this happen. eg delayed discharges from hospital have gone up by around 16% since August 2010 and now cost the NHS £500m every single day. The NHS and local councils need to 'pool' their budgets and share the savings from prevention.

crisisgran

Hi Liz

Will you be supporting the Dilnot proposals when the government introduces its social care white paper in the spring?

Labour has welcomed Andrew Dilnot's proposals as an important step towards a better, fairer system of funding social care. We called on the Government to take part in serious and meaningful cross party talks on Dilnot. Those talks are now underway. Getting cross party agreement, on any issue, is difficult...to say the least! But because this is such an important issue, and one that requires a long term solution, we have got to try and reach cross party agreement on the way forward. I can't say any more about the talks at the moment, but I hope to keep you posted.

JayP

Why is money that is suppose to fund Social Care, not been ring fenced?

You're right - the Government hasn't ring fenced the money it says it is putting into care for older and disabled people. They say they want to give local councils 'more freedom'. But the truth is that adult social care makes up around 40% of local council budgets and is their biggest discretionary spend. When council's overall budgets are being cut by 30%, money and services for social care are inevitably being cut - by at least £1 billion since the Coalition came to power. Fewer older people are getting the care they need to help them stay living independently in their own homes, and charges (for home help, daycare, meals on wheels etc) are increasing too. I think this is a false economy, because if more older people end up in hospital or residential care when they don't need to, it costs us all far more.

jeni

What do you think of the proposed removal of mobility allowance recipients
From DLA if the current proposals go ahead?

Labour opposed the removal of the mobility component of DLA for people in residential care. Working with campaigning groups, voluntary organisations and crossbench peers in the House of Lords, we managed to get the govt to back down on this important issue

jeni

What do you think of the proposed removal of mobility allowance recipients
From DLA if the current proposals go ahead?

Labour opposed the removal of the mobility component of DLA for people in residential care. Working with campaigning groups, voluntary organisations and crossbench peers in the House of Lords, we managed to get the govt to back down on this important issue

granIT

Hi Liz, there's been a suggestion that having a consultant geriatrician in every hospital would make a difference to ageist attitudes - which we know from threads on here are rampant in the NHS and very destructive to people's dignity and health.

Do you think this would help?

Hello! I'm sorry I'm a bit late. I think having consultant geriatricians leading teams in hospitals makes a big difference to improving care for older people. I've seen this for myself, on a recent visit to QMC hospital in Nottingham where geriatricians are leading improvements in the medical assessment unit and on dedicated wards for people with dementia. They work closely with specialist nurses, mental health professionals, OTs and physios. You can read my blog about this on my website www.lizkendall.org

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