Ms Robison says elderly care in Scotland faces a huge crisis

The party warn that more and more elderly people will continue to block beds in emergency wards unless the closure of vital care homes was halted.

By 2021, patients aged over 80 could occupy over half of all acute beds designated to emergency patients.

The claim was made by the SNP's health spokeswoman Shona Robison.

NHS statistics released in November last year showed that 5,000 patients aged 80 or over were admitted three or more times to emergency wards in 2001.

If the care home crisis continues down this route it could result in a rise in bed blocking, which will impact on waiting lists across the country Shona Robison MSP

Over a five-year period, 59 residential care homes had closed, said Ms Robison, citing the latest available community care statistics.

Care home numbers dropped from 664 to 605 between 1997 and 2002, reducing the number of beds available by nearly 1,700, the figures show.

Ms Robison said: "Scotland is facing a huge crisis with care for the elderly.

"Not only has there been a decline in the number of residential care home places, but studies indicate that this can result in more emergency admissions of older people and delayed discharges in hospitals.

"Private nursing homes are running at almost full capacity, and with the reduction of residential care homes, what we will be left with is more elderly people being forced to be admitted to hospital to receive care.

Review

"If the care home crisis continues down this route it could result in a rise in bed blocking, which will impact on waiting lists across the country.

"It is vital that elderly Scots receive the appropriate care they need in the community, whether it is in residential care facilities or in their own home, instead of having to rely on the acute accident and emergency services of the NHS."

A spokeswoman for the executive said: "The executive doesn't want to see the unnecessary closure of any quality care homes.

"We are conducting a review of elderly people's community care services to ensure the appropriate range and level of care is in place to meet the future needs of Scotland's older people.