The CSP hit the headlines this month with its report on rehabilitation for people who have had a broken hip. See page 8.
The report shows wide variations in the support available in various parts of the country. It also highlights the gaps in service provision – whether due to staff sickness, vacancies, or inadequate staffing levels – which impact on what’s offered to patients, the bulk of whom are aged 65-plus.
Notably, the report came out a few days after the National Audit Office (NAO) highlighted the shortcomings in adult social care, particularly in workforce provision.
The government is aiming to publish a green paper on reforming care for older people by the summer so the findings about the social care workforce are timely – and shocking.
As the NAO report states: ‘The social care market is operating in challenging circumstances. Care providers, already under financial pressures, are struggling to recruit and retain workers and are incurring additional costs as a result.’
What’s that got to do with physiotherapists, you might ask? Well, a lot.
When I visited community-based physios in Oxfordshire last year, care staff shortages meant older or disabled people sometimes weren’t able to get up in the morning. As a community rehab physio, if your patient’s home is getting a bit untidy, do you leave a growing pile of newspapers untouched? Or try to tidy it to avoid a potential fall – or fire?
Given that more of us are living into old age, social care provision is becoming increasingly important.
- Lynn Eaton managing editor Frontline and head of CSP member communications
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