THERE are few more pressing social issues than way we care for the elderly and the vulnerable.

People live longer these days. That is good. But with health and social care budgets massively squeezed, it also poses a problem.

Longer working hours and changing social attitudes mean that many of us still of working age are too busy to look after elderly or vulnerable relatives.

As a result, as their health and their ability to live independently begins to fail, many vulnerable people are forced to rely upon the state. Yet as we have seen all too often, that state often fails them. Care staff - whether in private or council-run care homes - are notoriously poorly paid, and often overworked. So it is little surprise that stories of the mistreatment of elderly people in care are disturbingly commonplace.

This is a problem that is only going to get worse. And it is a challenge that we as a society need to address if we want to ensure that our parents and elderly or vulnerable loved ones receive the kind of care they deserve.

The fiasco surrounding York's failed 'super care home' plan revealed that this city remains far from clear about the way forward for elderly care. Also of concern is a case highlighted today about a complaint relating to council social care that it took the authority months to resolve, despite the intervention of the Local Government Ombudsman.

We understand the pressures the council is under. But it must get its act together - not only when dealing with complaints, but in terms of the way older and vulnerable people are looked after in the first place.

These are our parents, grandparents and relatives. They deserve to be treated decently.