Charity reports concerns over paying for care

The charity Counsel and Care has reported that the number one reason for callers to ring their helpline is because they are worried about how to meet care home costs. 30% of all calls made to the helpline in 2008 were from people concerned about having to use their savings to pay for ever-increasing care costs, a situation made worse by the recent economic downturn. Counsel and Care’s report, ‘Finding and Financing Care in Hard Times’, also looks at the difficulties that people face when they need to choose a care home, claiming that they are left ‘in the dark’. The charity feels that there is not enough information available and urges the Government to overhaul the entire system of care and make it simpler and clearer for people to understand. It also recommends that the care industry be better-regulated, which it considers could prevent large annual fee rises. The report is published as the Government creates a Green Paper on the future of long-term care. In response to the report, the Department of Health comments that ‘The Government will work closely with local authorities and care providers to ensure they are able to meet their statutory responsibilities and protect the welfare of care home residents.’

Counsel and Care’s report can be read or downloaded from their website.