The UK's Ageing Population's Impact on Health and Social Care Costs

This report examines the unsustainable costs in health and social care in the UK, attributed to the ageing population. It delves into the economic implications of government investments in healthcare and social care, emphasizing the need for sustainable financial policies. The report analyzes the impact of the ageing population on healthcare expenditure, exploring the government's role in providing care, including integrated, cognitive, and palliative care services. It identifies the financial burdens caused by these services and the potential for technological and innovative solutions, such as AI, automation, and assistive devices, to reduce costs. Furthermore, it discusses how individual responsibility and lifestyle choices, alongside the adoption of technology, can alleviate the burden on government resources. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of a multifaceted approach, involving both governmental and individual strategies, to address the financial challenges posed by the ageing population and ensure the long-term sustainability of the healthcare system.

The UK's ageing population is
responsible for unsustainable costs in
health and social care

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................3
Main Body..........................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The economy of country is an important part of their growth. The investments
that are made by the government plays important role in the sustainable and stable
economy. Health and social is a major concern for the central government of the
country. There are certain policies are formed to provide personal care that is required
for people who are old and they can not afford the expenses of health and social care
also they are unable to take care of their self (Glasby, 2017). This is big issue for
national government of United Kingdom. This problem is concerned with the
uncontrolled investment made by the government in care of old age people who are
suffering for different diseases. This study is all about how various methods that are
need to be considered while planning for investments in the health and social care.
Report is also explaining that how government can take various steps to make the
people more aware about their health to reduce the financial load that is spent by them
on the health and social care of old people. Different alternatives will be explained which
are effective to reduce the burden of government to make the financial expenses more
sustainable and economic.
Main Body
Health care and social care of people, is major concern for the central
government of a country. There are different policies and investments are made by the
national government to make the life of people easier and free of problems (Courtin and
Knapp, 2017). These investments made by government are focused on the health and
social standards of citizens and these policies are made to focus people of special age
group. This target based financial investments provide general data of economy where
they are able to evaluate that how much money is spent on particular age group. When
the economy of a country is suffering form the unstable economy it is important for them
to make effective changes in their financial policies to keep the economy as stable as
possible to maintain growth of country. This is not about considering the expenses on
health and social care of people as waste of money this is related to the economic and
sustainability of the policies and procedures. It is important for the government to find
different ways to reduce this expenses.

As per the government policy health care and social care funds are based on the
providing best services and care to the public. The funds that are provided to the
specific age group are depended on the population of age group and what kind of
services they need in order to stay physically safe and healthy with mental stability
(Dickinson and O'Flynn, 2016). The focus of government is only concentrated on the
best services not on the sustainable process. This is main reason for the problem of
sustainable cost in health and social care. There are many side effect of this issue for
government. Some crucial issues for government are- uncontrolled expenses on the
health and social care is causing extra burden to government and economy of country,
Cause of this burden they are not able to make efficient and required decisions for
growth. Old ageing people in United Kingdom are big part of their population and it is
responsibility of the government to make sure they stay safe and healthy. To keep them
physically and mentally healthy government has made various facilities that are
providing personal focused care to old age people. For example the people who are
provided with integrative care, need different kind of support form the medical and social
authorities (Cheers, 2019). It is required to provide them with personal care that can
help them to survive in better way and improve their life style. The cost of these is too
high because in this government to provide fund for personal care, medical devices,
medicines and primary check up equipments.
There are different type of care is provided to the patient of old age in integrated
personal care. The integrated care includes various kind of health care services which
are known as cognitive care, person centred care and palliative care (Milligan, 2017).
For each type of care government need to spent a lot of money, that is causing financial
unsustainable situation. Which is need to be improved.
Only the government is not responsible for the irresponsible expenses on the
health care services. This is important for government to take care of people but this is
also important for them to manage those expenses to keep their action sustainable and
in limits of economy. They also can use different alternatives which can help them to
compensate those extra investments. Younger generation is able to take care of
themselves but people who are at old age find difficulties in taking care of self. That's
why government have to make interfere to provide services to old age people. The cost

which is spent by government on the health care and social care of young people is
very low as compared to the resources that are spent on the ageing people. The main
difference between is about the personal capabilities which can help the person to stay
healthy. People who are suffering for the problems that comes with ageing feel
difficulties in maintaining lifestyle because ageing process reduce their physical and
mental capabilities to manage all those things that are essential to maintain healthy and
social lifestyle. Because of these, government have to make larger expenses on this
age group. This can not be consider that the old age people are responsible for the
issue of unsustainable cost in health and personal care services.
For different people in old age various kind of personalized health care and social
care is required. For each case the services required in process are depended on the
condition of individual person (Rivera, 2019). For the normal case services provided of
general category which do not cost more to the government but the people who are at
risk and suffering from critical health or mental problem are more difficult to handle
because they need personally centred care which is complex in process. It also cost
extra money to government. For example, the cognitive care which is based on the
various approaches or treatment that can help the medical authorities to diagnosis and
monitor the conditions of the patients that are suffering from disorders like Alzheimer,
dementia and MCI. In this approach of personal care, government have to spent huge
amount of medical devices and medication kit which are basically required for the
primary analysis of person who is at old age and suffering from or examined with
particular disease. The most of the investments made by government are basically for
health and social care organization who are consisted of required facilities that can help
the people to come over the stage of physical and mental illness.
The care provided in the health care or social care organization are more specific
and target based. The organization provide services to the old age people are consist of
different people and resources which are required to provide best services to the
patients. There are two types of investments are need to be made by government. First
one is related to the salary of health care and social care staff and other expenses are
related to the devices that are required to made to arrange resources that are important
for personal care. Investment in the medical devices can be considered as one time

investment but the expenses that are made to arrange resources like health specialist,
nursing staff and medication is huge for government.
This is how the economic impact of health care and social care provided for old
age people can be understood. Most of the expenses that are made by government are
compulsory and crucial for old age patient who need support of other to live healthy life
style. There are different procedures are possible that can help the health care
organization to minimize the cost of health care services. By using these methods,
government can control their budget which is allotted to healthcare and social care
facilities. These methods are mostly based on the technology and innovations that can
reduce the efforts of people without affecting the services that are provided by health
care and social care organization.
Technologies like AI, automation and digital technology are capable to provide
required services. These devices can be used in health and social care practice as cost
cutting process. These technologies can be used in the health care facilities as assistive
techniques that can provide self capacity to individual to survive on their own. These
technologies are good for both service providers and patients. The organizations that
are providing health care facilities to people can use this technology to track the health
condition and activities of patients (Mozley, 2017). For examples monitoring devices can
be used to track the activities of the patients to manage their treatment from distance. In
case where people need personal assistance for large distance communication
technologies can be used to help the individual patient to perform their daily routine
activities. There are many assistive devices like timer clock, fitness band, smart watch
and smart phones can be used to help old people to perform their routine work with out
any trouble or healthcare problem. These are some methods can help government to
reduce the cost of health and social care services that are provided to ageing people.
By this process government will be able to make their expenses sustainable to focus on
other required fields.
The above mentioned points and facilities are for government. They can use this
processes to avoid the high spending in health budget. There are some methods
available that can be used by the people to reduce the burden on the government. They
can use some practices which are designed to reduce the complexity of process which

are used in medical or personal care process to make family members of these people
or patient to perform care activities at home. By performing communication process and
assistive devices they will be able to provide primary care and personal care to the
patient. This need to be considered as initiative of people in order to reduce the work
load and financial burden on government (Sipilä, 2019). For example people use the
services of the health care and social care organization in some cases which can be
avoided in first site or that can be treated at home also. By considering this people can
provide opportunity to Health and social organization to serve people as their capacity
to provide best services to the people who required these services to live longer with
improved lifestyle. In the other conditions people who are facing acute diseases, also
can be treated at home which is better for the government. By these process
government can get ensured with the health conditions of the old age people. There are
some other long term process also can be accepted by the people to avoid the
problems related to ageing. This is possible with taking care of health and habits that
can help them to live with proper standards which will keep them healthy in old age. By
maintaining better care in young age can avoid problems of ageing that are common.
CONCLUSION
This study is concluding the solution of the problem of government which is
related to the high expenses on the health and social care facilities for old age people.
The whole problem is discussed in brief to get better understanding of the government
issue. This financial problem of government has been analysed from the both
perspectives of people and authorities. For both perspective this problem has been
discussed to propose solutions to reduce the burden of government by innovation in
technology or health care practices. It is also discussed that how citizens of country can
develop self initiative to help government in providing health care services to old people
of country.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Cheers, B., 2019. Welfare bushed: Social care in rural Australia. Routledge.
Courtin, E. and Knapp, M., 2017. Social isolation, loneliness and health in old age: a
scoping review. Health & social care in the community. 25(3). pp.799-812.
Dickinson, H. and O'Flynn, J., 2016. Evaluating Outcomes in Health and Social Care 2e.
Policy Press.
Glasby, J., 2017. Understanding health and social care. Policy Press.
Milligan, C., 2017. Geographies of Care: Space, Place and the Voluntary Sector: Space,
Place and the Voluntary Sector. Routledge.
Mozley, C., 2017. Towards quality care: outcomes for older people in care homes.
Routledge.
Rivera, D.S., 2019. Care Without Assumption: The Perceptions of Transgender Persons
Regarding Their Experiences With Nursing Care. International Journal for
Human Caring. 23(3). pp.242-253.
Sipilä, J. ed., 2019. Social care services: the key to the Scandinavian welfare model.
Routledge.