Help pledged on elderly health

The health secretary has unveiled a range of measures designed to help older people access services.

Alan Johnson used a speech to the King's Fund think-tank on Wednesday to pledge action on making it easier for assistance to be received and for greater preventative medicine.

He said that services such as telecare, footcare and hearing tests should be extended and improved, while older people should also be given more and better information on how they can receive care already available.

He announced a new expert group to help the NHS better provide services for falls, fractures and osteoporosis.

On footcare he said that access to services such as toenail clipping, which are available free of on the NHS based on clinical need, must be more made more equal across the country.

And he said that the NHS must continue to reduce waiting lists for essential services, such as hearing aids.

Johnson said: "People are living longer and that is to be celebrated.

"But I want to ensure, where possible, those extra years are quality years where people have and are aware of basic entitlements to help them lead healthy, independent lives. Our aim must be to make quality of life stretch right to the end of life.

"Many of those entitlements already exist, but people may not be aware of them. In other areas, there is more work to be done.

"Over the coming months, I will be talking to local health and care providers about ways to provide more and better preventative care for older people.

"We are not starting from a low base. Much has already been done. But I want today's announcement to be the first step on the next stage of our journey towards better, more personalised care.

"We want to ensure that older people see their local services improve, and that it becomes easier for them to access and use these services. Improving services for older people should be a priority for the NHS."

Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern England, said: "Good health and wellbeing are essential for making the most out of later life.

"People aged 65 and over are the fastest growing age group in Britain and now there are more centenarians than ever before. We are living longer, but for many older people, later life is often blighted by illness and disability.

"We strongly welcome the intention to focus on preventative health, including podiatry and nail cutting, as well as life-threatening conditions.

"Shifting the focus to prevent health problems rather than just responding to crises makes good sense for everyone."

And Paul Cann, director of policy for Help the Aged, added: "We are looking forward to helping the government make sure this package delivers to help achieve real benefits to older people's lives."