Shropshire Star comment: Our elderly and vulnerable deserve the very best care

It does not, however, receive the attention it merits, from policy makers, politicians or the general public. And yet legions of people have their own horror stories of how they lost money to the care system, of how loved ones were poorly treated, of how the winter years of friends of family were devoid of dignity.

Let’s create context first. Plenty of care homes do an exemplary job. Staff are typically low paid and yet standards are high. However, there are exceptions to that rule and the system is chronically underfunded.

The NHS ends up bed blocking while social services seek to avoid costs, members of the public find themselves facing huge bills and the process becomes unseemly, stressful and of little help to patients.

We know people are living longer and this places more strain on our care services. Equally, for families with loved ones who need care, there is the difficulty faced when forced to trust somebody else to look after a relative. It is therefore worrying to reflect on the number of reports of abuse and neglect. Of course, we should point out that not all of these reports of neglect or abuse will be proven. However, it is clear that the system is creaking.

Boris Johnson made pretty promises about tackling the crisis in social care when he swept to power earlier this month. Care of the elderly is not an issue that will go away. And while some problems can be fixed by creating efficiencies in existing systems, in the case of social care this does not seem to be the case. Substantial investment is required if more people are to avoid exposure to stressful, undignified and abusive interactions.

The figures make unpalatable reading as we head towards a new decade. They should be a reminder that we must ensure standards remain high for our elderly and vulnerable. They deserve the very best care.