The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
Mr. Soames
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the principal objectives of this Department for the care of elderly people.
Mr. Whitney
The principal objectives of the Department for the care of elderly people are:
- to strengthen the primary and community care service together with neighbourhood and voluntary support to enable people to continue to live at home;
- to encourage an active approach to treatment and rehabilitation
- to enable elderly people in hospital to return to the community wherever possible;
- to maintain capacity in the general acute sector to deal with the increasing numbers of elderly people needing acute medical or surgical treatment; and
- to maintain an adequate provision for the minority of people requiring long-term care in hospital or residential homes.