Growing old affordably

摘要

The NHS and social care are in crisis. Some 1.9 million older people are living in poverty and more older people are having to sell their houses to pay for their care in this, the fifth largest economy in the world.It cannot be solved at a 'component level' by pouring more resources into the first aid camp at the bottom of the cliff, rather than building a fence at the top. There needs to be a whole-systems approach and radical reform. The total package needs to be designed to reduce demand, increase efficiency and effectiveness and find sufficient money to make health and social care (not living costs) free at the point of delivery of service.Britain's state pension is 29% of national average earnings compared with 100% in the Netherlands, and more than 90% in Portugal, Italy and Austria.Given the correlation between income and demand upon the NHS it is hardly surprising that older people account for four-fifths of NHS expenditure.