Care services minister highlights the importance of elderly care

Healthcare News
13/05/2008
Ivan Lewis highlights the challenges that the provision of elderly care poses.

Care services minister Ivan Lewis has highlighted that the provision of personal care for the elderly and vulnerable individuals is one of the "biggest challenges" facing the UK.

Speaking on Channel 4's News at Noon, Mr Lewis said: "People are living longer, we are all are concerned about elderly parents, [and] disabled people want to have full lives.

"The existing system simply will not be able to cope with the scale of those challenges."

He added that there is "nothing more important" than the way society treats older and disabled people and their carers.

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that a new law will be implemented to protect elderly people's interest while they live in care homes.

Couples denied the right to stay together in nursing care homes can challenge decisions under the Human Rights Act 1998 which protects the right to a family life, reports the Times.