We are told this week that Mick Jagger is delighted with the
prospect of becoming a great-grandfather, according to his granddaughter Assisi
who is expecting her first child in April. I highlight this news story in
contrast to the regular media stories that forecast doom and gloom over our
ageing population.
There is no doubt that demographic change will bring many policy
challenges and I participated in a round table discussion hosted by The Herald
on this very issue yesterday. However, the phrase 'demographic time bomb'
ignores many of the benefits to individuals and communities. Older people
remain significant economic contributors as well as important carers, of young
and old, in their own right. Many of the voluntary organisations that make up
the fabric of our society would collapse without the support of older people.
There is also some recent academic work that argues that we may
be exaggerating the impact on health services because we are likely to be
healthier into old age. 60 is the new 50, as Mick Jagger might illustrate.
There is also a lot a focus on nursing home costs, but this only applies to a
tiny proportion of older people.
Of course, none of this means that we shouldn't address the
policy implications of an ageing population. The additional public spending
impact is estimated at £2.5bn in Scotland by 2030. When I was working with the
Christie Commission we were told that £1.5bn might be released from unplanned
hospital admissions to help pay for this. With the increasing demand for beds
that is now looking a remote prospect and I don't see any replacement plan in
the current care integration proposals.
One aspect we do need to focus on is the workforce that cares for
older people. We are seeing a race to the bottom in terms of pay and training,
with care being viewed as the new retail in job terms. I was discussing this
with a group of home care staff recently. Most of the younger staff told me
that they would leave as soon as they could get a better job - little prospect
of the essential continuity of care that many older people need. Others
described minimal training before being expected to address complex care needs.
Even more worrying, those on zero or nominal hour contracts said they wouldn't
flag up safety or abuse issues for fear of losing hours.
Demographic change has positive implications for our society and
we shouldn't over emphasise the negatives. What we should do is start serious
planning. Respecting and developing the workforce is a good place to start.
Dave Watson
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