An organisation that brings together healthcare professionals specialising in the care of older people has said it is “essential” that the next Scottish government invests in rehabilitation services for elderly people who have become less active during the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Geriatrics Society says numbers of older people who have “deconditioned” due to not being able to get out during the virus or coming forward with late stage illnesses could outweigh those with long covid.

Deconditioning, which is normally associated with frail older people in hospital, is where patients who are lying in bed lose muscle strength, leading to lower mobility and a higher chance of falls.

This is thought to happen to up to two-thirds of older patients during hospital stays.

President Dr Jennifer Burns said: “This election comes at a time when the entire country, and the health service in particular, are starting to come out of a pandemic that has been devastating to older people in Scotland.

“As the country begins to return to normal, we are concerned about the long-term impact of the pandemic on older people – both those who have had covid and have lasting side effects, and those who have not had covid but have been negatively affected by lockdown.”

Dr Burns, who is also a consultant geriatrician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, told healthandcare.scot: “We are hearing about older people who have been less active over the last year than they would usually be and have deconditioned during lockdown, developing frailty earlier than would otherwise have been expected.

“We are calling on the incoming Scottish government to prioritise rehabilitation services for older people to reverse this deconditioning and to ensure that older people are supported to regain their health and independence.”

In its manifesto for the upcoming 6^th May Holyrood elections, the British Geriatrics Society says more support is needed now to prevent older people ending up in a crisis situation and potentially going to A&E or other more expensive treatment.

‘We recognise that there will be pressure on all parts of the health system over the coming months as there is a need to catch up on missed operations, scans and other appointments,’ the manifesto says.

‘However, it is essential for the incoming Scottish government to invest in rehabilitation services now to ensure that we do not experience even greater demand on the system in years to come.’

Alongside this call, the Society is asking the next government to set out a timeline for implementing the recommendations of the Feeley review of adult social care, which called for a series of reforms including setting up a National Care Service.

It also says there is an ‘urgent need’ for trained staff who can work in multi-disciplinary teams carrying out comprehensive geriatric assessments, which allow needs of frail older people to be understood and care planned accordingly. 

Read more: Hospital at home effective alternative to admission; Call for ‘right to rehabilitation’ after covid; Four hundred die waiting for care packages

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