Scarlett McNally: Exercise can do wonders for social care (26 October 2022)

Summary

We need urgent radical solutions for the crisis in social care, to prevent the collapse not just of the NHS but of the entire UK economy. Social care is facing extreme difficulties with funding and workforce shortages. Staff are poorly paid, and 10% of posts are vacant.

The situation is about to get worse: 19% of the UK population is over 65. In Northern Ireland the number of people over 65 more than doubled between the censuses in 2011 and 2021. Projections show that each person will need an average of 10 years of social care.

We must, then, focus on prevention. The need for social care is not inevitable. Ageing does not have to be associated with a loss of fitness. Exercise and strength training can restore muscle and balance and are proved to reduce the impact of falls and fractures.