Over 55s least likely to think care has improved over the pandemic
Research from our joint campaign with CQC, Because We All Care has found that people over the age of 55 are the age group least likely to think care has improved over the pandemic.
People over 55 are usually accessing care more frequently than most of the population, as well as often providing support to family and friends. We want to hear about their experiences accessing care on behalf of themselves or others.
What have people over 55 said?
The research commissioned by CQC and Healthwatch England for the Because We All Care campaign also showed that people over the age of 55 with experience of Health and Social Care:
- are less likely to think that care has improved during the pandemic, with only 14% of over 55s reporting that care improved during COVID-19, versus 29% of adults aged 55 and below.
- are significantly less likely to think that it is acceptable for health and social care providers to offer a lower standard of care due to the impact of coronavirus.
- are more likely to think a decline in care is unacceptable, 74% of over 55s think a decline in care is unacceptable, compared to just 47% of people aged 18-34.
- are less optimistic that increased support and empathy from family and the wider community during the coronavirus crisis will persist than younger generations.
Commenting on the findings, Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at CQC said:
“At the Care Quality Commission, we are listening to voices of older people and are committed to seeing improvement in care for everyone. By giving us feedback you can help us achieve this, both for your own care and for others.
“Hearing from people about their care is a vital part of our inspection work and contributes to driving improvements in standards of care. Everyone can play a part in improving care by directly giving feedback to services, or by sharing information and experiences with us so that we can take action when we find poor care”.
“Where risks or inadequate care have been reported to us we have taken action and where we have seen good practice we have sought to share this through our Provider Collaboration Reviews. Feedback really makes a difference. “
Highlighting the importance of people sharing their experiences, Sir Robert Francis QC, Chair of Healthwatch England said:
"With NHS and social care services responding to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, it's never been more critical for older people to share their experiences of care.
"Thanks to people coming forward, we have already been able to highlight issues ranging from the problems people face accessing a dentist to issues with the way people are being discharged from hospital.
"Every piece of information is valuable for those delivering support, so people mustn't hold back from giving feedback - whether it's big or small, good or bad. It takes only a few moments, but it could make a real difference to the care that you, your loved ones and your community receives."
Tell your local Healthwatch
Our Because We All Care campaign aims to help services identify and address quality issues and support people by encouraging them to share feedback on their experiences of health and social care services in England. Thousands of people have already come forward to share their stories with their local Healthwatch we want to hear more views.
You can provide feedback in two ways:
