15 April 2010
Well, the General Election is finally starting to roll onto fairly safe territory with the publication of a manifesto by each of the three main Westminster political parties. Of course these documents don't really mean a great deal in the long term in that they are often ignored once the Election is finally over, but they usually provide material for the battle ground over which the Election is fought. And they usually give some insight into what the leading politicans consider to be the primary issues of the day.
Which means we can be fairly sure that the safeguarding and protection of older people and other adults at risk of abuse scores a huge zero on the political interest charts. And we can also be pretty sure that adequate funding of social care and the provision of quality and safety within the personalisation agenda is also a non-runner.
There is no doubt that the next Parliament will need to reach concensus on how the long term care of older people is funded. And there is also no doubt that we need to see care and health provision more reflective of individual choice and control. But the devil has been in the detail for too long, and there have been too many 'special interests' able to ride rough-shod over the implications of both these issues at the expense of very vulnerable people. Martin Green, from the English Community Care Association, put it very succinctly in a news release yesterday when he said,
Which means we can be fairly sure that the safeguarding and protection of older people and other adults at risk of abuse scores a huge zero on the political interest charts. And we can also be pretty sure that adequate funding of social care and the provision of quality and safety within the personalisation agenda is also a non-runner.
There is no doubt that the next Parliament will need to reach concensus on how the long term care of older people is funded. And there is also no doubt that we need to see care and health provision more reflective of individual choice and control. But the devil has been in the detail for too long, and there have been too many 'special interests' able to ride rough-shod over the implications of both these issues at the expense of very vulnerable people. Martin Green, from the English Community Care Association, put it very succinctly in a news release yesterday when he said,
“Yet again, social care has been relegated to the margins within party manifestos. It is interesting to note that good quality social care is equally important as education as a foundation for economic recovery and social renewal, but politicians are obsessed with one and tend to ignore the other. At a time when the debate has to centre on the budget, we need an approach to social care that recognises its economic and social importance for a civilised society. We need politicians to do what we expect of them, which is to lead the agenda and deliver tangible benefits, rather than endless discussion.
SOURCE: ELDER ABUSE AND ADULT PROTECTION BLOG
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