1. THE ELDERLY BY KIRSTY BULLEN AND JONATHAN NIKORA

2. The elderly are a growing group within society. Some people argue that they suffer from health inequalities in terms of ageism within the NHS. Many reports have highlighted the poor treat ment that many elderly people receive in hospitals and care homes. An example of one of these reports is the Sutherland report.

3. Sutherland Report In 1997 the new Labour government set up a royal commission on the long term care of the elderly. The report recommended that all health services should be provided free and the money should be spent on living and housing costs instead. Although a lot of people argued against this proposal due to the amount it was going to cost- £1 billion per year. The country’s wealth of it’s citizens increased every decade there for they should be able to afford this for the elderly citizens.

4. Free Personal Care in Scotland For people living in a care home People aged 65 and over are entitled to an allowance of £145 a week for their personal care and a further £65 a week if they need nursing care. The local authority pays the money directly to the care home and individuals pays the difference between that and the weekly cost of living in the home if they have assets of more than £19,000 including the value of their homes. For people receiving free personal care at home People will be assessed by the local authority Social Work Department and a decision will be made on whether they need a care package. Support for non personal care such as meals on wheels, or help with housework, will be means tested.

5. An ageing population The population in the UK has grown steadily in recent years. In 2001 it was 59.1 million, which was supposed to rise to 61.9 million in 2001. In the same period the elderly population will increase at a much faster rate. This is linked to the decline in birth rates. This is placing a strain on health provision across Europe.