Cost-cutting planned as council report reveals elderly 'time bomb'
25 June 2009
By Andrew Keddie
A report signed off by Scottish Borders Council social work director Andrew Lowe reveals that, in just 11 years time, the number of residents aged over 65 will rise by 40 per cent, while over the same period those aged 85 and over will rocket by 57 per cent.
And, at 2007/08 prices, the extra cost to cash-strapped SBC and NHS Borders will be £8.2million a year – up 39 per cent on the two organisations’ current expenditure on old people.
And, at 2007/08 prices, the extra cost to cash-strapped SBC and NHS Borders will be £8.2million a year – up 39 per cent on the two organisations’ current expenditure on old people.
The most controversial of the pair is to increase the share of home care delivered by private providers from 30 per cent to 50 per cent or 5,000 hours a week.
At today’s SBC meeting, Mr Lowe seeks approval to put four other key elements of the review out to public consultation.
These include introducing a so-called telecare service to allow the frail elderly to remain in their own homes rather than ‘blocking’ beds in hospitals and care homes. When piloted last year, it was discovered the sophisticated system, which uses monitoring and measuring devices to remotely alert clinicians to changes in a patient’s condition, rendered 181 sleepovers by carers and 457 home checks unnecessary.
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