Analysis of inpatient experience data in NHS hospitals in England shows a quarter (23%) of patients experienced poor or inconsistent standards of dignity and respect, equating to 2.8 million people annually, of whom one million are aged 65 and over.
Of those who needed help eating, around 640,000 patients aged 65 and over didn’t receive enough assistance and inadequate care was more likely to be experience by women, and those aged over 80.
The quantity and quality of nursing care, and whether or not there was a choice of food, had a large and statistically significant association with the probability of experiencing poor standards of help with eating.
The report now calls for a new and improved approach for identifying hospitals where poor quality care is a cause for concern, for example, separate monitoring of the care provided to older disabled women.
Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director, said: “This new in-depth analysis of older people's reported experiences shows just how big the challenge is in ensuring every older person in hospital receives the dignity they deserve and help with eating if they require it.
'It must be recognised that the data this research is based on is two years old now and that the newest figures suggest some welcome improvement, especially as regards older people's experiences of 'dignity, but this sobering report certainly shows that hospitals need to redouble their efforts.
'Above all it is really worrying, if perhaps not altogether surprising, that the more vulnerable an older person is, the greater their risk of not being treated as we would all wish for ourselves or our loved ones. Turning this situation around ought to be a top priority and no hospital can afford to be complacent."
The report, commissioned by Age UK, was completed by the London School of Economics who produced a detailed statistical analysis of the Adult Inpatient Survey for 2012-13 in NHS hospitals in England.
To read the full major findings from the Age UK report click here and the full 200+ page report is available below on attachment.