Health secretary asks public how to make Scotland the 'best place in the world to grow old'

Older people, care staff and doctors are being asked by Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf how adult social care services need to change to make Scotland "the best place in the world to grow old".

The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation to find out what is currently working well in health and social care and what is not.

People aged 65+ make up 70% of emergency hospital admissions

There was an estimated one million people living in Scotland aged 65+ in 2020, and by 2040 this is expected to rise to 1.4 million (that's 25 per cent of the population).

In Scotland, people aged 70 years+ live with an average of three chronic health conditions and those aged 65+ account for 70 per cent of emergency hospital admissions.

Health secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow old, with older people living full and rewarding lives, contributing to society and actively involved their health and social care.

“The reshaping and remobilisation of health services following the pandemic provides a unique opportunity to focus on this goal. The consultation we are launching today will enable older people, and those involved in caring for them, to contribute their views and shape our forthcoming Older People’s Strategy.

“Older people are a vital part of ensuring Scotland’s future success – essential to our communities, our economy, our public services and to society as a whole."

Views are being sought from older people, those who support them, care organisations, health professionals and care workers in a bid to give older people integrated care in Scotland ”whatever their needs and wherever they live”.

What support do you need to self-manage health?

The consultation is seeking views on the pandemic’s impact on accessing mental health services and how to improve it, when is a good time to have difficult discussions about planning future care needs and who should be involved. The government wants to know what could be done to improve integrated care between health and social care services.

The public are also being asked what support would help them to self-manage their health and long-term health conditions and what end-of-life care they want.

The Scottish government has stated that it is focused on a ‘home first’ approach, which ‘builds upon our Hospital at Home and Care at Home services to ensure that they are available throughout Scotland’. Consultation responses will be used to form a Health and Social Care Strategy for Older People, which is scheduled to be published later this year.

Mr Yousaf added: "By working together we can place older people at the centre of the recovery, remove barriers and ensure an effective, joined up approach to healthy ageing.”

The Scottish Government is inviting responses to the consultation before the closing date 19 June 2022. You can respond to this consultation online at: www.consult.gov.scot or by emailing: olderpeopleshealthstrategy@gov.scot.