In Britain, England is no part of the country for more sick, frightened old men sent more often to accident and emergency in hospital

It's frightening enough for a young man or woman :

An accident or sudden illness.
The emergency phone call.
The arrival of the ambulance with sirens blaring.
Taken on a stretcher by strangers.
The ride in the ambulance sirens blaring.
Arrival at strange hospital.
Questions and examination by a stranger.

Now imagine this if you are an old man or woman over 90 and double the fear and confusion.
 
The 6th annual publication of the 'Accident and Emergency Attendance Data' by the Health and Social Care Information Centre has just revealed that this happened on 300,370 occasions in England to this group brought into hospital accident and emergency units last year. Up from 165,910 in 2009/10, an 80%.increase.

So what's going wrong ?

Members of Parliament and campaigners say, that for old men and women :

* cuts to social care budgets and failures by general practice services mean that they are not being properly looked after at home.

* lack of home help and inadequate monitoring by doctors, practice nurses and, in some cases, families has left them prone to falls, fractures, infections and sudden problems with long-term complaints such as heart failure.

Local authority spending on adult social care had been cut by the Government by £1.8 billion since 2009/10.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said:
"It is important that older people receive the treatment and care they need and sometimes this means going to hospital. However, we know that, in some cases, being admitted to hospital is the consequence of not getting good quality care at home. Access to high quality social care is increasingly difficult as many vital services are withdrawn or reduced as a result of the current crisis in care."

Andy Burnham, Shadow Health Secretary, said :
"It is appalling to think that, every week, there are thousands of frail and frightened people speeding through our towns and cities in the backs of ambulances to be left in a busy A & E. This is often the worst place for them to be and a disorientating experience that can cause real distress. With proper support in the home, this could all be avoided."

He also said it did not make financial sense to cut support to people in their homes:
"It is no answer to the challenges of the ageing society to allow our hospitals to become increasingly full of older people. David Cameron must take personal charge and reverse these terrible trends."

What a sad country Britain has become.