Scotland’s health ‘getting worse despite past progress’ | Public Health Scotland called for a preventative approach to be taken, saying the burden of disease from an ageing population is likely to grow.
by backupJM
Scotland’s health ‘getting worse despite past progress’ | Public Health Scotland called for a preventative approach to be taken, saying the burden of disease from an ageing population is likely to grow.
by backupJM
3 comments
>Johnston said: “Excellent health services will support improved health and wellbeing of our population as a whole – but cannot bear all the responsibility for this.
>“Tackling poverty impacts on health, as does the availability of good work, high-quality education and childcare, affordable housing, addressing climate change, and tackling racism.”
He’s absolutely right about improving health through better opportunities.
When it comes to the ageing population though, solving that is another matter. There is no magic solution to this, it will get worse as more people live longer all while needing ongoing healthcare for what is often multiple complex conditions.
There’s an irony in putting almost in the same sentence “progress in the past” alongside the result of that as we live longer. The inevitability of physical frailty and dementia shouldn’t come as a shock that we’ve just come to realise and now must do something about.
Living longer isn’t all it’s cracked up to be unless we can get guarantees our younger self efforts mean we can remain fit, healthy and independent into old age. If only that was the reality. Wouldn’t be surprised if assisted dying became a reality sooner rather than later when the real costs hit home as we wake up to the fact getting older isn’t a curable illness.