Our response to The Lancet's study on people's care needs

The report analyses people's care needs in 2011 compared to 1991 and found that older adults are living more years with substantial care needs, now reaching an average of 3.0 years for women and 2.4 years for men aged over 65.

Neil Tester, Deputy Director of Healthwatch England said:

"For those who work in health and care these new figures will not come as a shock, but for everyone else they paint a picture of the stark reality we all now face.

“At Healthwatch we know from what people tell us every day that the care sector is already in a fragile state, and it is clear these daunting challenges aren’t going away. As a country we have some really big questions to face about how we plan and fund care.

“But finding solutions to the lack of space, appropriate care, and the best use of resources, requires far more than simply increasing the number of care home places. To deliver the right sort of care we must listen carefully to people living in care homes right now as well as the rest of us who may need care in the future.  

“As our report “What’s it like to live in a care home?” published last week highlighted, it is vital that homes value and use people’s feedback to ensure they are helping their residents to live their lives to the fullest.”