Demand for Health and Social Care Services for Aged People - Dissertation Example

?Increasing Demand for Health and Social Care Services for Aged People: A Comparison between China and UK Research Topic: This paper seeks to investigate the current trends in aged population in UK and China and to examine various social and health care services available to them. Research Methodology: In order to evaluate the situation, the researcher will undertake a review of the relevant literature published on the topic and based on the qualitative aspects of various aspects of the issue, an analysis will be made and appropriate findings endorsed. Research Questions: The study will be based on the following research questions: 1) What is the current status of healthcare services to aged people in UK and China? 2) What gaps do exist in healthcare provision and what are the reasons thereof? 3) What are the differences in healthcare provision for various segments in the society? 4) What are the current trends in the demand for healthcare services for aged people? Providing quality health and social care equally to all segments of the society is the primary onus of all governments. Elders are a segment of the population that needs special attention as they are more likely to have problems due to the fact that normally health becomes fragile in the later days of human life. However, it appears that several barriers occur in the case of elders for their access to quality healthcare. Therefore, the United Kingdom (UK) government has undertaken a lot of initiatives for the promotion of social inclusion of aged people which include work related compensation, income support and reforms in pension improvement in transport facilities as well as “tackling health inequalities” (Goddard 2008: 2). Evidence from UK sources points to a need for improving access to healthcare facilities of those who live in “disadvantaged circumstances” such as aged population due to the prevalence of services of varying nature, whereby healthcare professionals perceive the “ideal user” differently (2). On the other hand, in China the situation shows that the number of aged people is rising constantly and thereby puts increased stress on the “already troubled healthcare system” (Today’s Research on Aging 2010: 1). Thus, it appears that providing equal access to healthcare to aged population is a major concern for both these countries in the present day. The National Health Services (NHS) is a “universal service” that provides healthcare services to all citizens in the UK and aged patients are entitled to home visits by physicians on a “no cost” basis (Goddard 2008: 5). In so far as it relates to provision of healthcare, elders who fall in the age range of above 60 are entitled for free prescription of medication while sexual health services are “free to all people” (6). Dental services, on the other hand, are “free for those over 60” whereas physiotherapy is provided at home “subject to resource constraints” and so are wheelchairs and Zimmer frames (6). Facilities like NHS hearing aids, glasses etc are free and the NHS also provides free mental health counselling services to “those in hospital” as well as for community health services based on the recommendation of the GP (6). However, older people, especially those from the remote areas, have problems relating to “safety as well as availability and cost of public transport” as constraint in accessing services (7). Another major issue that has been identified in previous studies is the lack of balance in the distribution of GPs as “deprived areas” become “underserved” and “affluent areas” are “over-served” (7). Such imbalances in the availability of service can negative affect elder population in remote and lower socio-economic classes. On the other hand, the problem in China stems from the fact that as aged population grows on a rapid pace, the availability of “family caregivers decreases” and elder people will be forced to seek help from healthcare institutions (Today’s Research on Aging 2010: 1). This may pose the problem of movement and entail additional expenditure for them. Evidence also suggests that prevention and treatment of frailty of the elder population is a key element in “extending healthy life” to them (2). However, the country is encountering problems in coping up with this issue due to its “transition from a centrally planned economic system into a market oriented system” (3). Similarly, there is a high rate of variation in the rate of insured and uninsured in respect of urban high income group and rural low income group at “80 per cent” and “32 per cent” respectively (3). In addition, evidence also suggests that due to their low income, doctors usually tend to “overprescribe drugs and high-tech services” thereby increasing the cost of healthcare for the average citizens (3). Thus, it transpires that providing care to elders, especially those in the rural and hailing from lower socio-economic strata of the society is a significant problem in China also in the present day. The factsheet on “Later Life in the United Kingdom,” a publicly available and monthly updated source on the elderly people and their health status (copy attached as Annexure-I) places the number of people aged 60 and above in the UK at “14 million” (2013: 3). Data on various health problems and the living conditions of elder population, set out in this document, clearly establishes the fact that providing healthcare to aged people is a major concern. Further, evidence also indicates that aging population has far reaching consequences for a wide variety of “public services including health and social care expenditure” (Sustainable Planning for Housing 2008: 6). Keeping in view of the problem, the UK government recognizes that “decent housing” can make a difference in ensuring physical and mental health problems of aged population apart from ensuring effectiveness to the provision of healthcare to this segment (8). Therefore, they feel that the housing strategies need to be reconsidered and “existing stock” of residences must be given “equal attention” besides allocating new ones (11). Thus, the government has planned to build “4,000” new units per year for this sector (12). In addition, they intend to make provision for “market choice” of specialized housing for older people out of the proposed “240,000 new homes” being built per year (12). On the other hand, the life expectancy in China has risen to an average of 74.9, which is expected to “hit 80 in 2050” and by 2020, their aged population of people above 65 will be about “11.61%” (China Healthcare Policy Study 2011: 6, 7). Similarly, evidence also suggests that China has lesser time to “prepare for population ageing” and their strategies to encounter the issue are not the same as those being practices by developed nations (William & Hong-Kin n.d: 1). The Office of Elderly Health Care and Ministry of Civil Affairs assume the responsibility for the care of aged people in China on a national level but the extent of care varies based on regions and locations, especially among rural and urban areas (3). Social security in the nation is the collective responsibility of state resources and individual contribution and hence they do face a dearth of resources to pay for “adequate benefits to retired workers” (3). The country has moved to a prepaid system of healthcare, whereby contributions to health insurance is the means to access medical services in urban areas (3). However, this system precludes elders who remain unemployed as well as the poor people from access to proper healthcare as they may not be covered by private insurers. Another trend in China is that due to the reduction in collective care provisions and the lack of family support to an increasing number of elder population “residency care homes for elderly” are increasing in the country (4). The policy brief 10 of World Health Organisation identifies three major areas where the implementation of appropriate policies will help in addressing the issues of ageing population such as: (a) “ensuring an adequate response from health systems, building adequate systems of long term care” and “supporting economic and social integration” (Rechel et al 2009: 14). These measures may help not only to promote “healthy ageing” but also will enable them to depend less on “health care resources” and become more capable of remaining in the labour force (24). Research evidence also finds that “assistive adaptations, low-level support, housing maintenance schemes and well-designed neighbourhoods” will go a long way in promoting the welfare of the elderly population as well as in enhancing the capability for their self dependency (Sustainable Planning 2008: 21). From the review of available literature, it has been evidenced that the UK government has devised ample supportive systems, especially through funding of organizations like the NHS to facilitate care for the elderly. On the other hand, the situation in China is grim and only “50%” of the urban population receive “old age allowance” but people from the rural areas are not entitled for this benefit (Woo et al 2002: 773). Evidence further suggests that to be able to address the issues relating to aged population, the country needs to focus attention on the “primary determinants of diseases” and take efforts to make sure that the aged population is free from diseases (775). Healthcare insurance is a privilege to those who contribute fiscally to it in both UK and China. This policy pre-empts the poor segments to gain access to proper medical facilities and they have to pay higher charges in private sector hospitals. The problem seems to be more acute in China, where evidence has indicated that due to lower pay doctors are overprescribing as a consequence of which healthcare becomes costlier to the public. On the other hand, due to the dependency on high end technology, healthcare service consumers in UK have to bear the brunt of higher costs. Such problems can have stronger negative impacts on socially and economically backward people than the ordinary citizens. From a review of the literature published on the topic relating to both countries, it has transpired that in UK as well as China, healthcare to aged population is a major concern. It has also become apparent that while urban population are able to access better healthcare due to availability of hospitals and transportation, rural population does confront constraints due the lack of sufficient facilities in terms of infrastructure and transport. In the case of China, it also has come to the fore that financial aid from government is absent in the case of rural population whereas urbanites do receive some respite in this regard. The advances in medical field and increased standard of life has contributed to rising population of the aged people across the world and UK as well as China also indicate similar trend. The increased number of aged population poses the problem of provision of adequate health and social services to this segment. Since most of the elder population does not have independent income or family members to take care of them, the onus of providing care to them falls on social security. The trends in UK as well as China show that governments of these nations do have adopted certain strategies for providing medical care to aged people. While the situation in UK is comparatively satisfactory, China leaves much to be desired in terms of proper policies and strategies to provide healthcare to its rising population of elders. During the course of the investigation, it has also come to the fore that people from socially and economically low categories as well as those from remote areas are confronting the problem of healthcare more severely than those from well to do families and urban areas. In both the countries, the demand for healthcare for elder people is on the increase and the governments will have to implement plans appropriate to meet the rising demand so as to afford equal care to all segments of citizens. Reference List China Healthcare Policy Study, 2011. 2011. Frost & Sullivan, Beijing. Retrieved June 29, 2013, from Goddard, M. K. 2008. Quality in and Equality of Access to Healthcare Services in England. The University of York. Retrieved June 29, 2013 from Later Life in the United Kingdom. 2013. Age UK. Retrieved June 30, 2013, from Rechel, B., Doyle, Y., Grundy, E., and McKee, M. 2009. How Can Health Systems Respond to Population Ageing? World Health Organization, Europe. Retrieved June 30, 2013, from Sustainable Planning for Housing: A Guide for Regional Level Strategies. 2008. Ed Harding International Longevity Centre, UK. Retrieved June 30, 2013, from Today’s Research on Aging. 2010. Population Reference Bureau. Retrieved June 29, 2013 from William, L. K. M. & Hong-Kin, K. n.d. Ageing in the People’s Republic of China: Developing a National and Local Framework for Elderly Care. Retrieved June 29, 2013, from Woo, J., Kwok, T., Sze, F. K. H., and Yuan H. J. 2002. Ageing in China: Health and Social Consequences and Responses. International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.31: pp.772-775. Retrieved June 29, 2013, from Read More