1 October 2008

ELDERLY/OLDER PEOPLE

Flagship or Flagging? The impact of Pension Credit five years on (26th September 2008)
More than half of older people are cutting back on essentials such as heating and food, and one in 10 of the poorest pensioners have been forced into debt by the rising cost of living, according to a new report by Age Concern. With a third of those eligible still missing out on the Government’s flagship benefit Pension Credit five years since its introduction – the charity is calling for urgent government action to increase take-up. To overcome the deeply ingrained barriers to claiming benefits, Age Concern wants the Government to introduce a new system of automatic payments as soon as possible – an idea supported by seven in 10 older people – and reform the benefits system to help the poorest pensioners cope with their escalating household bills.
Document

Older People’s Experiences of Falls and Bone Health Services (England) (18th September 2008)

A Royal College of Physicians (RCP) survey of 40 patients in England who had attended a falls clinic following a fall shows that while patients felt the clinics had helped them, they were not always sure about the purpose of the clinic and how it related to their own needs. This misunderstanding leads to patients not continuing with exercises and other activities which could help prevent another fall. In addition, patients were not always given the results of health tests or told about ways of reducing their risk of falling again, and were often unaware of what services were available.
Survey
Summary

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