By STEVE DOUGHTY (Daily Mail)
Four out of ten of nursing home admissions stem from the 'epidemic' of falls
Elderly people are dying from falls at the rate of one every five hours, a leading researcher warned yesterday.
Professor Alan Walker has called for a "national crusade against falls".
He said yesterday that four out of ten of nursing home admissions stem from the "epidemic" of falls.
He blames "woeful lack of attention paid to older people in terms of both provision and prevention".
The professor added: "A strategy is needed that reaches all levels of society to promote and enable active and healthy ageing.
"All future 85-year-olds are alive now - if we work with them to prevent poor health, this will avoid personal misery and a large part of the predicted rise in care costs."
The growing number of elderly people facing difficulties living alone has been linked to the decline in assistance to live independently.
The Daily Mail's Dignity for the Elderly campaign has highlighted the withdrawal of home help from all but the most disabled older people.
Professor Walker said: "No one wants to lose independence, and the health and social services that once aspired to rehabilitation to maintain independence are having to focus increasingly on the very vulnerable."
Gordon Brown has promised a green paper on the Government's approach to the elderly next spring, which is likely to consider-ideas on how to cope with the pressing problems of paying for services to help the elderly in their homes.
It is also expected to come up with ideas for ending the care home means-testing that forces older people with their own homes to sell up to meet the bills for care.
Sir Derek Wanless, Mr Brown's former troubleshooter, said last year that good home help services to cut the number who need care homes would cost between £20billion and £30billion a year
Source: Daily Mail UK
Four out of ten of nursing home admissions stem from the 'epidemic' of falls
Elderly people are dying from falls at the rate of one every five hours, a leading researcher warned yesterday.
Professor Alan Walker has called for a "national crusade against falls".
He said yesterday that four out of ten of nursing home admissions stem from the "epidemic" of falls.
He blames "woeful lack of attention paid to older people in terms of both provision and prevention".
The professor added: "A strategy is needed that reaches all levels of society to promote and enable active and healthy ageing.
"All future 85-year-olds are alive now - if we work with them to prevent poor health, this will avoid personal misery and a large part of the predicted rise in care costs."
The growing number of elderly people facing difficulties living alone has been linked to the decline in assistance to live independently.
The Daily Mail's Dignity for the Elderly campaign has highlighted the withdrawal of home help from all but the most disabled older people.
Professor Walker said: "No one wants to lose independence, and the health and social services that once aspired to rehabilitation to maintain independence are having to focus increasingly on the very vulnerable."
Gordon Brown has promised a green paper on the Government's approach to the elderly next spring, which is likely to consider-ideas on how to cope with the pressing problems of paying for services to help the elderly in their homes.
It is also expected to come up with ideas for ending the care home means-testing that forces older people with their own homes to sell up to meet the bills for care.
Sir Derek Wanless, Mr Brown's former troubleshooter, said last year that good home help services to cut the number who need care homes would cost between £20billion and £30billion a year
Source: Daily Mail UK
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