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More than a quarter of people receiving social care from the NHS have seen their health deteriorate during the coronavirus pandemic, research shows.
In a survey of more than 4,000 people with social care needs and Care and Support Alliance (CSA) caregivers, 28% said their health had declined and one in seven people had to be hospitalized due to illness. ‘a lack of care.
The CSA reported that older people and people with disabilities found themselves struggling with daily activities and missed medical appointments, and a quarter of those who said they had difficulty carrying out daily activities reported not having received help from the authorities when they requested it.
About 15% of respondents said they felt neglected and 18% were scared when asked what they thought of the care they received during the pandemic. Of those with learning disabilities, 34% reported feeling lonely or isolated and 25% were unable to leave home due to lack of support.
Research also suggested that the health of unpaid caregivers had been affected by their responsibilities, with 17% of those who participated in the study indicating that their health had deteriorated.
The CSA said the results showed that poor social care “undermines” people’s health, makes it “difficult if not impossible” for people and their caregivers to live fulfilling lives and puts pressure on the NHS.
The body called on the government to urgently present its proposals for reforming the care sector, which it has pledged to bring forward later this year, and to close the gaps in services and personnel. He also called for improving the quality of social care and doing more to make sure people can access the help they need.
Sue Gallagher, who cares for her husband, Bernard, who suffers from Lewy body dementia, said she has experienced firsthand the impact of the lack of social care during the pandemic. Bernard ran away from the care home he was staying in to give her some respite and ended up spending 11 weeks in the hospital, a situation she says could have been avoided had she received more. great support while taking care of him at home.
“The lack of adequate social support before the start of the pandemic was a real problem and due to a lack of care during the pandemic he spent much more time in the hospital than he should have needed. She said. “Families like mine continue to find it difficult. I worry about the lack of support for people’s conditions, as well as for their loved ones at home.
Caroline Abrahams, CSA co-chair and charity director at Age UK, said some older people have rejected care for fear of contracting coronavirus by bringing people into their homes. Others had received “irregular or reduced” service due to understaffing.
“Our new survey shows how the lack of social care during the pandemic has diminished the lives of many elderly and disabled people, as well as their unpaid caregivers, and put their health at risk,” she said. “It increased the pressure on the NHS when it was the last thing our overburdened health services needed.
“As we begin to envision a world beyond Covid-19, it is vital that the government expand its pandemic funding for care services and keep its promise to bring forward reform proposals to fix social care, once for all.”
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