| Good evening, It’s a fact of life that as we get older, many of us will require care. We may need help in our own homes and some of us will have to go into specialist homes as we can no longer manage on our own. As the population gets older, the requirement will become even greater. Which is why the current crisis in care needs sorting out now, once and for all. For years, there has been a recognition that health and social care cannot be separated. Elderly people who go into hospital often need help when they leave and if no help is available, they end up having to stay in hospital.This ‘bed-blocking’ and the fact that many care homes are struggling to survive because they cannot find staff, is adding to the pressure on the NHS.Now Lancashire County Council has taken the unusual step of asking care providers to apply for extra funding to cover their increased costs following the impact of the pandemic, something which has left them surprised but delighted.At least this is a start - but there is still a long way to go to get the social care issue sorted. Until next time, take care, Gillian | |