Care in Crisis: What’s next for social care?
This new Age UK report reviews the current state of the social care system in England and discusses and makes recommendations for the future of social in the light of the Care Bill
The report concludes that the current social care system is in crisis, mainly due to underfunding.
“In real terms, spending on social care has fallen by around £770 million since 2010 and we have seen a steep rise in the length of time people are waiting for care home places, home care and home adaptations.”
In 2012, Age UK identified seven ‘building blocks’ for the reform of social care. This report revisits these building blocks to see what has been achieved so far and what still needs to change.
1. Paying for care in a fair and transparent way. – Currently the majority have to pay the full costs of care. The Care Bill introduces a £72,000 cap on care costs (with a separate £12,000 cap on living costs – food and accommodation) but only for money spent on ‘substantial or critical’ care needs. The Care Bill will also increase the existing means test threshold from £23,250 to £118,000 with help on a tapering scale. There will also be a deferred payments scheme, but only for those with savings of less than £23,250. Age UK believe the cap is too high and that deferred payments should be available to all older home owners.
2. Having access to care and support with no chance of being left without it. – Cuts in funding have forced 85% of local authorities to restrict access by setting their eligibility thresholds at ‘substantial’ need. A further 2% have set their threshold at ‘critical’. In 2011 there were over 800,000 older people whose care needs were not met. The Care Bill will require all local councils to provide care to people with the same level of need (national eligibility threshold) but it appears that the threshold will only be set to help those with ‘substantial or critical’ needs. This would mean that 99,000 currently receiving care support would not be eligible. Age UK wants the threshold set to support those with ‘moderate’ needs.
3. Receiving high quality care and support. – The Care Bill states that local councils should seek to ensure that people in their community have a choice about who provides their care and also ensure that the professional care workforce is able to deliver a high quality service. The report suggests that this aim will be hampered by lack of funding.
4. Receiving dignified care and support in order to live safely and with self-respect. - The Care Bill places a duty on local councils to promote wellbeing when looking at an individual’s care, including consideration of their dignity and ensuring that they are treated with respect. Age UK wants to see properly trained care workers who are themselves treated with respect and who are working within a positive management culture. This culture would include the effective regulation and diligent monitoring of care, and care homes that are open and part of the local community.
5. Ensuring carers are supported so that family or friends providing care are not expected to sacrifice health, career or financial security. – The Care Bill will give carers access to eligible services. The definition of what constitutes being a carer will also be broadened. Age UK calls on the Government to act to prevent a collapse of the care system because of the current burden on carers. The support should include more generous benefit payments and financial support for older carers.
6. Having a simple, easy to understand system in place. – The Care Bill aims for free information, advice and advocacy more easily accessible to those in the care system. Also those not eligible for care funding will be able to ask their local authority to arrange care for them, though they may be charged for this service. Age UK wants the Government to ensure older people who need care understand who is responsible for particular aspects of their care and what services are available to them. They must also be able to challenge decisions they disagree with quickly.
7. Being able to plan in advance before needing care. – The Care Bill proposes that everyone will have access to information and advice. Anyone unable of making a decision without support, who has no one to help them, will also have access to advocacy. Age UK stresses the need to ensure access to information and advice because of some of the uncertainties about how aspects of the Bill will operate.
You can download the report at http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-news/age-uk-publishes-damning-report-on-care-crisis/