Supporting People to Age Well

More than one in ten people over 65 live with frailty, and the number of UK residents over 80 is set to double by 2045. Meanwhile, falls among older adults cost the NHS a staggering £4.6 million every single day, occupying over 4 million hospital bed-days each year. In many ways an ageing population is a sign of progress, yet in Britain it has been allowed to become a crisis. 

The current healthcare system is failing to support independence, leaving older adults stuck in hospital beds when they could be living safely at home. Research proves that keeping the same GP for over 15 years reduces the chance of dying by 25% and drastically lowers hospital admissions, yet continuity of care has been eroded under successive governments.

Liberal Democrats believe that supporting people to age well and maintain their independence is better for them and common-sense for the NHS. Today, Liberal Democrat members passed a comprehensive policy to transform care for older adults, shift resources toward community prevention, and fix the social care emergency.

Our new policy calls on the Government to:

• Guarantee a Named GP: Ensure everyone aged 70 and over, as well as those with long-term conditions, has access to a dedicated named GP to coordinate their care.
   
• Regular full health assessments for people with frailty or multiple conditions, overseen by their named GP, who would then coordinate with carers, community nurses and pharmacists. We’d equip GPs with the time and resources to ensure effective follow-up care, including low-level interventions to improve quality of life like free ear wax removal or ongoing pharmacist check-ins for help with using the right medicine.  
   
• Roll Out Dedicated Community Frailty Services: Establish multidisciplinary frailty teams in every community to help more people leave hospital and be cared for at home, support care home residents, and tailor treatment plans to reflect what patients want out of life and medical care.
   
• Appoint a Commissioner for Older People: Create an independent Commissioner for Older People and Ageing to defend the rights of older adults and hold government departments accountable.
   
• Implement Fall Prevention & Fracture Services: Roll out active ageing programmes and falls assessments for everyone over 80, while delivering universal Fracture Liaison Services within a year to treat osteoporosis early.
   
• Recruit Paramedics into District Nursing: Create new roles for retired or transitioning paramedics to join district nursing teams, conducting urgent home visits under GP supervision.
   
• Support People with Neurological Conditions: Implement the Neurology Alliance recommendations to guarantee care coordinators and personalised plans for those with dementia, Parkinson's, and MS, cutting emergency admissions by a third.
   
• Fix Social Care & Support Unpaid Carers: Provide sustained council funding, introduce a higher Carer’s Minimum Wage, guarantee respite care, and establish dedicated carer support services in every hospital.

Preventing hospital admissions through regular check-ups, fall prevention, and continuity of care saves money, frees up hospital beds, and gives older adults the dignity they deserve.

It is time to build a society where getting older doesn't mean losing independence. The Liberal Democrats are taking a stand to fix social care, protect our NHS, and ensure everyone can age well in their own home and community.