More than a million older people are cutting or stopping their social care as the cost of living crisis bites.
And 10% of over-60s – equating to 1.6 million people – have already shelved or reduced their help or expect to in the coming months, according to an online Kantar poll for charity Age UK.
Some 22% – 3.6million – are cutting or stopping spending on medications or specialist foods, or are braced to impose the measure, while 15% - 2.5 million – are skipping meals or expect to.
It says 14,000 people are having requests for care turned down by councils weekly.
Also 40% of adults think “social care in England is working poorly or not at all”.
Director Caroline Abrahams said: “Without the care they require, frail, unwell older people are more likely to fall, become malnourished and dehydrated, fail to take medication and become seriously ill.”
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services warned “things have never been so bad” for England’s adult social care sector.
A Government spokesman said: “We have provided at least an extra £1,200 in support to eight million of the most vulnerable households.”
