So, like, there’s this new review happening about elderly care, right? And apparently, it’s all gonna go down the drain unless someone starts talking about the cost of not doing anything. I mean, who knew caring for old folks could be so expensive, am I right?
This report by some MPs’ says that taking care of elderly relatives costs a lot, workers in the field don’t get paid much, and we rely too much on family members to do the job. The government just launched a commission on adult social care led by Baroness Louise Casey, and it’s supposed to give a report by 2028. Sounds like a long way off, if you ask me.
According to the Health select committee, a whopping £32 billion was spent in the year leading up to March 2024. That’s a heck of a lot of money, especially when councils are already struggling to make ends meet. They’re calling it “unsustainable pressure,” which sounds pretty serious if you ask me.
The committee is also worried about all those hidden costs that people have to face when it comes to care. Apparently, one in seven older folks end up shelling out over £100,000 for care. That’s a lot of dough, if you ask me.
The report also points out that the government doesn’t really understand how messed up the current system is. Without knowing that, how are they supposed to fix things? It’s like trying to put together a puzzle without knowing what the picture is supposed to look like.
And get this, they’re talking about implementing changes over the course of a whole decade. That’s like a lifetime in politics, right? Who knows what could happen in that time.
Overall, it sounds like we’ve got some serious issues when it comes to taking care of our elderly. It’s gonna take a whole lot of work to sort this mess out. Let’s hope they figure it out before it’s too late.
