Counsel and Care calls for a fairer care system

The charity Counsel and Care has called on the government to make sure that the social care reforms set out in the forthcoming White Paper will be accessible, fair for all and properly funded.  Speaking in advance of their annual conference, ‘Delivering quality care: fair to everyone, affordable to all’, chief executive Stephen Burke warned the government not to replace care reform with a series of financial measures designed to keep people out of hospital and residential care.  Whilst acknowledging that many older people would prefer to be cared for at home, Mr Burke raised concerns about potential isolation and the ‘rushed’ care that some people might receive.  He also calls for an integrated approach to social care, commenting that: ‘A new care system must reflect the reality of older people’s and carers’ lives. They don’t just depend on social care but also on better housing, transport, safety and community facilities as well as adequate income. That can only be achieved by housing and health and other partners working closely together with local government.’  With regard to funding the new social care system, the charity recommends that additional free care (such as personal care at home) should be paid for by a care duty levied on estates, which it sees as ‘fair and simple…fairer than losing your home to pay for residential care.’

Tags: Care at Home, Carers, Counsel and Care, social care