These two reports relate to the White Paper Our health, Our Care, Our say. They were published a few days apart. The first is by the Department of Health, the second by Counsel & Care. They are very different.
A Recipe for Care – Not a Single Ingredient
First, I was surprised to see that Ian Philp, the National Director for Older People, who has done a lot of good in this role, allowed his name to be put to this eight page publication yesterday. Not only that, I had to go back and check the title a number of times. I still find it difficult to believe that no one in the Department of Health had not spotted that ‘not a single’ is not the same as ‘no single’! But it gets worse.
I was shocked to see that, according to the DH publication information, ‘professionals’ are the intended audience. This nibble gives you a flavour of its patronising tone: “Within 24 hours of filling out a short questionnaire, John was receiving physiotherapy treatment at Galleries Day Unit, Washington, twice a week and he now goes to ‘movement’ classes once a week with ‘two lovely nurses.'” – and this is in a report which is subtitled Clinical case for change! After being shocked I was depressed to find not a single mention of anything telecare- or telehealth-related, and that social care gets just two passing mentions at the end.
So, not a report to waste your time on, but here’s the link if you must.
Real choice, real voice: older people in control
Counsel & Care last week published the second of three papers on the state of the care sector. Its report dissects the issues around the White Paper in the context of the benefits of empowering older people and ‘third sector’ organisations to ensure that the agenda is delivered. It emphasises that whilst there is no single ingredient, individual budgets, direct payments and telecare should all play an important part, and as such it is a valuable contribution to the debate.
News report by Craegmoor Healthcare.
Counsel & Care website to download the report (37 pages).