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Dying Loved One Buried Unannounced: Care System Fails
30 Jul
Summary
- Care resident buried without family notification during pandemic.
- Long hospital waits of over 12 hours affect many elderly.
- Failures include poor communication and uncompassionate care.
Failures in England's social care system have led to tragic outcomes, including a care home resident being buried without her family's knowledge. This occurred during the pandemic, and the individual's grave was later discovered unmarked and overgrown.
The watchdog's report, 'No Second Chances,' also points to persistent problems like poor communication with families, inadequate coordination between health and social care services, and insensitivity regarding care costs after death.
Separately, analysis shows that older individuals disproportionately experience long hospital waits. Last year, 43% of patients over 80 admitted through A&E waited more than 12 hours for a hospital bed, a stark contrast to younger demographics.
These reports paint a grim picture of the treatment of older people, from hospital discharge difficulties to end-of-life care, with campaigners stressing that financial pressures cannot excuse a lack of compassion.
