Elderly should be treated at home instead of hospital

Elderly should be treated at home instead of hospital Elderly patients could be treated at home rather than in hospital.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said that doctors should only admit the most seriously ill patients who would benefit from the highest levels of care. These proposals were made in late 2011 and were made amid fears that elderly people were routinely being ignored on NHS wards The plans were unveiled as part of the NHS’s Operating Framework, which sets out the Government’s plans for the health service during 2012. In these plans he promised to make the elderly the NHS’s utmost priority following a series of reports exposing harrowing neglect in hospitals. In one study by the Care Quality Commission it revealed that 20% of NHS trusts were treating older patients so bad they were breaking the law. And that half of these hospitals weren’t meeting basic nutritional standards, as staff did not do enough to ensure the elderly didn’t go hungry or thirsty. The plans also focussed on dementia patients, as they are often neglected by nurses who do not realise their illness can leave them incapable of eating, drinking or going to the toilet. Additionally, every patient with dementia must be looked after by at least one doctor or nurse who is properly trained in treating the condition. Mr Lansley said: ‘We must see improvements for people with dementia, particularly in the care they get in hospitals. It will often be in their best interests to be treated at home.