Cheselden Continuing Care Ltd

MS charity’s move could define the future of respite care services

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:41:00 +0000

The trustees of the MS Society are soon to debate whether the charity will keep open its four residential respite care homes, or whether it will close them and redirect the funds into a more personalised respite care service. Its decision could have repercussions for other disability charities that currently use traditional methods of respite care. Increasingly, the trend is to move away from residential homes and day care centres and to provide respite care in individuals’ homes or in the form of a holiday. And with the new government’s pledge to increase the personalisation of health and social care, it looks likely that patients and their carers will be given a greater choice over how and where they spend their respite breaks in future. Although a recent MS Society review shows that many people are still in favour of using traditional methods of respite care, the majority of respondents said they would like more choice and control over their own and their carers’ respite care.

New guidance published for end of life care

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:41:00 +0000

The General Medical Council (GMC) has published new guidance on end of life care to support healthcare professionals in making difficult decisions about the care of terminally ill patients. The new guidance is much more comprehensive than the previous version and is aimed at all clinicians that are involved in end of life care, not just those that specialise in palliative medicine. Key areas covered in the guidance include:

The need for doctors to weigh up the benefits of continuing or withdrawing treatment
That it should be assumed the patient still has capacity to make decisions
The patient’s relatives should be dealt with in a sensitive manner.

However, the charity Alzheimer’s Society has criticised the new guidance for not giving enough attention to the needs of dementia patients. Pointing out that a third of people aged over 65 will die with dementia, the charity comments: ‘People with dementia have specific end of life care needs…We need dementia-specific guidance for clinicians if we are to ensure people with dementia get the dignity they deserve at the end of their lives.’

Alzheimer’s Society welcomes Paul Burstow’s appointment

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:40:00 +0000

The charity Alzheimer’s Society has welcomed the appointment of Paul Burstow, a Liberal Democrat MP, as Care Services Minister in the new coalition government. A former member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia, Mr Burstow is well known for his support of issues relating to dementia and the care of older people. The charity comments: ‘Paul Burstow’s strong social care background and tireless championing of the rights of people with dementia are excellent attributes for a minister for social care.’

In other dementia news, the government has recently published its Programme for Government, which includes a promise that dementia research will be prioritised from now on. The news was welcomed by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, which commented: ‘Dementia is the greatest medical challenge of our time, costing our economy £23 billion each year. Through this groundbreaking pledge, the new government has recognised the urgency of Britain’s dementia crisis.’

Coalition government announces Commission on Long Term Care

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 10:39:00 +0000

The new government has announced it is establishing an independent Commission on Long Term Care that will advise on how social care should be funded in future. The Commission will report back within a year. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley (Conservative) also revealed that the government will not be introducing Labour’s Personal Care at Home Bill, previously scheduled for April 2011 – indicating that the new government has abandoned Labour’s plans for free social care. The new Care Services Minister, Paul Barstow (Liberal Democrats), comments on the Commission’s role: ‘The Commission on Long Term care will be tasked with delivering a sustainable settlement, which is a fair partnership between the state and the individual.’ His comments suggest that any new system will be at least partly funded by the taxpayer.

The government also announced plans to reform the NHS with a view to improving patient outcomes. Key measures include:

Merging health and social care budgets and prioritising preventative care
Rolling out personal health budgets to more older and disabled people and their carers
Increasing direct payments to carers and improving access to respite care.

These intentions have been welcomed by charities representing older and disabled people, including Age UK, the Alzheimer’s Society, Parkinson’s UK and Counsel and Care. However, the charities also called on the government to make sure it honours its commitment and acts quickly and radically enough to rescue the social care system from its current state of crisis.

How will the coalition government change elderly care?

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:03:00 +0000

Now that the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats have come together to form a coalition government, the two parties must agree on how to shape the future of adult social care and how it is funded. It is encouraging to note that in his first speech as Prime Minister, David Cameron acknowledged the plight of the nation’s elderly people. Speaking from outside 10 Downing Street, Mr Cameron said that he aimed to ‘…help build a more responsible society here in Britain…I want to make sure that my government always looks after the elderly, the frail, the poorest in our country.’

However, although the Prime Minister has pledged to spend more on the NHS, neither the Tories nor the Liberal Democrats ruled out public spending cuts to the social care budget in the run-up to the election. And the new government has already faced criticism from the charity Carers UK for failing to make social care a political priority. Spokesperson Emily Holzhausen comments: ‘…we are deeply disappointed that the programme for Government published in the coalition agreement this week does not establish social care as a political priority. Clear plans must be brought forward as a matter of urgency, setting out a sustainable funding model for fair, universal, and transparent care services.’

You can watch clips from Mr Cameron’s speech at the BBC website, or read it in full at the Conservative party website.

Law Commission asks for feedback on new adult social care laws in England

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:02:00 +0000

The Law Commission is appealing for input from the general public about how adult social care laws should be reformed. The organisation was recently tasked with overhauling the current system of laws, which are confusing and in some cases, date back over 60 years. There are two ways that people can make their views known: they can attend meetings in London or York in June, or they can complete a simple online questionnaire. Areas that will be covered in the meetings and also feature in the questionnaire include:

Choice and control
Person-centred planning
Location of care
Dignity in care
Personal budgets
Eligibility for care funding
Care plans.

To find out more, visit the In Control website where you can also view a PowerPoint presentation which gives you background details on why the law reforms are necessary.

New factsheets available at Age UK website

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:01:00 +0000

The new charity Age UK, formed when Age Concern and Help the Aged merged in 2009, has published a series of new factsheets on its website, www.ageuk.org.uk. The factsheets replace those that were previously available separately from Age Concern or Help the Aged and have been updated to reflect the latest information. Topics covered include:

NHS Continuing Healthcare
Paying for permanent residential care
Treatment of property in the means test for permanent care home provision
Hospital discharge arrangements.

There are also numerous factsheets covering the benefits that may be available to older people and their carers, including Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Carers’ Allowance.

As well as the factsheets, the new Age UK website contains a wealth of other information that is relevant to and useful for older people and their carers.

Welsh NHS launches plan to improve dementia services

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:00:00 +0000

Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart has published four new action plans that aim to improve services for people suffering from dementia. The plans will each tackle a separate area:

Enabling earlier diagnosis
Shortening hospital stays
Reducing the inappropriate use of anti-psychotic drugs
Improving the availability and quality of support services.

Around 37,000 Welsh people are believed to have dementia, with this figure expected to reach 50,000 within the next 20 years. Ms Hart comments: ‘The action plans show clearly how services must work together to…meet the anticipated increase in demand over the coming years. My focus is to ensure we improve patient care…I expect the NHS to work with other organisations to deliver the necessary changes.’

In related news, the Welsh NHS has just launched the 1,000 Lives Plus Programme which aims to improve patient safety, with dementia services being one of the Programme’s key target areas. The new scheme will take up where its predecessor, 1,000 Lives, left off and work to improve the quality of all NHS services in Wales, but especially dementia care and maternity services.

Care Alliance launches social care survey

admin — Mon, 17 May 2010 08:59:00 +0000

The Care Alliance has launched a new online survey to find out whether the recent economic pressures that have been put on local authorities have affected the amount or quality of social care that they are providing. The survey can be completed by the person receiving care, their carer, a relative or friend. It takes around five minutes and focuses on the different ways older people are helped to carry out day to day tasks, such as washing and dressing, in their homes or in a care home. You can access the survey through the cancer charity Macmillan’s website. Macmillan is a member of the Care Alliance which is a group of charities and organisations that have come together to raise the profile of social care and help improve the care system.

Times warns of the risks of investing in care bonds

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:19:31 +0000

The Times reports on the potential risks of investing in a bond to cover the future cost of care. The article gives the example of Rosemary Upton, who took out a long-term care bond in 1997 after the death of her husband. The bond should have provided around £750 a week should Rosemary develop certain care needs later in life. By 2010, the bond was worth just £3,000, its value decimated by poor investment performance and spiralling care costs. Rosemary was told she either had to make up the shortfall herself, or accept the loss in benefits. She decided to cash in the bond. Care bonds like Rosemary’s – which was a type of insurance policy partly based on investment performance – were mostly sold in the 1990s and are no longer widely available.

However, as The Times points out, many more people could find themselves in Rosemary’s position as they try to make financial provision for themselves in the face of potentially long delays before the next Parliament decides on the future of social care funding.

Cheselden urges anyone considering buying any type of financial product to pay for current or future care costs to consult an experienced and reputable independent financial adviser before proceeding.

New figures reveal postcode lottery of home care costs

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:19:02 +0000

A survey by consumer group Which? has found that the weekly cost of home care vary dramatically by local authority area in England. The cost of receiving personal care – help with basic tasks such as washing and dressing – at home varies from £60 per week in Barnsley to £850 per week in Brighton. Meanwhile, residents in Newham, a London borough, receive the same care for free. The problem stems partly from the fact that some local authorities have a cap on the weekly amount they can charge for home care, whilst others have a free rein. Also, due to budgetary constraints, some councils have raised their eligibility criteria for free home care so that only people with the most critical needs qualify, despite government guidance stating that care should be ‘…readily available to those who need it, whatever their means.’ A Which? spokesperson commented on the research findings: ‘The cost of receiving care in your own home has become an unfair postcode lottery in recent years. In some cases, people living just a few miles from each other can be paying wildly different amounts.’

Until recently, a similar situation existed in Wales, leading to the introduction of the Social Care Charging Measure which caps the weekly amount that local authorities can charge for home care.

In England, Labour’s delayed Personal Care at Home Bill could result in free home care for up to 400,000 of the country’s most vulnerable people as well as introducing new guidance for local authority eligibility criteria – potentially ending the postcode lottery. However, whether or not the Bill is introduced depends on the results of the forthcoming General Election.

Party leaders told to respect older people’s place in society

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:18:26 +0000

The Institute of Ageing and Health at the University of Newcastle has called on politicians not to view older people as a ‘burden’ on the economy. In a letter to the three main party leaders, Professor Tom Kirkwood, the Institute’s director, explains: ‘An ageing population is seen as a ‘narrow prism’ of increased health and social care costs – a negative, and a burden to be managed…(But) They are not all in poor health needing high levels of care. Indeed, many view their health as excellent and still live highly independent lives.’ Professor Kirkwood goes on to point out the economic benefits of increasing life expectancy and urges MPs to adapt the country’s infrastructure to prepare for the needs of an ageing population.

‘Grey vote’ could decide outcome of May 6 election

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:17:29 +0000

Age Cymru, the Welsh arm of new charity Age UK, has expressed its view that the outcome of May’s General Election could rest in the hands of the nation’s older people. Politicians across the UK have certainly made it a priority to target older voters, with pre-election debates covering the future structure of the social care system and ways to fund home and residential care without having to sell the family home. Age Cymru has conducted research into what older people in Wales want from politicians. Findings include:

Age discrimination is widespread throughout society and needs to be tackled.
Older people want to be treated with respect and dignity by health and social care services.
People want to see age-friendly communities where older people can easily access services such as shops and post offices.

Age Cymru anticipates that in 30 of Wales’ 40 constituencies, more than 50% of voters on May 6 will be aged 55 or over.

Age UK and its national partners Age Cymru, Age NI and Age Scotland were formed in April 2010 when the two charities Age Concern and Help the Aged merged.

Welsh care homes to miss out on full increase to NHS-Funded Nursing Care

admin — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:16:33 +0000

Nurses working in Welsh care homes will miss out on most of the 2.25% increase to NHS-Funded Nursing Care that was announced in the April 2010 budget. Local health boards have decided to award the full 2.25% increase only to nurses working in hospitals, whilst those working in independent care homes will only receive 0.75%. The decision has been heavily criticised by the Welsh Conservative party, who are calling for all nursing staff to be treated on ‘an even playing field’ whether they work for the NHS or in the private sector.

American survey finds unpaid carers can suffer ‘overwhelming stress’

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:46:24 +0000

Research undertaken in the US by Penn State University and the Benjamin Rose Institute has concluded that unpaid, untrained carers can ‘experience overwhelming stress’ when caring for elderly relatives with dementia. The survey report, published in the ‘Aging & Mental Health’ journal, describes how, for many carers, continued stress often leads to depression and nervous breakdowns. The article looks at how different types of stress make the problem even worse, as traditional ways of coping will not help. Lead author Steven Zarit explains: ‘The family has to pay the physical, emotional, and financial cost of the caring, which can be staggering. When the caregiver gets overwhelmed, it raises the probability of a breakdown in the care situation.’

In other dementia news, the Alzheimer’s Society is calling for all hospital nurses to receive formal dementia training. Despite the fact that up to 25% of hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from dementia, most nurses have received ‘inadequate’ training in caring for their needs, and many dementia patients are leaving hospital in poorer health than when they arrived. The Alzheimer’s Society has made its recommendation to the Nursing & Midwifery Council as part of a recent consultation process.

Dame Joan Bakewell steps down as ‘Voice of Older People’

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:45:30 +0000

Dame Joan Bakewell has stepped down as the Voice of Older People, just two years after she was appointed to the role. The Telegraph reports that she is calling on MPs to create a different and more powerful role in England, similar to the Welsh Older People’s Commissioner. The Welsh role carries considerable statutory powers to protect the rights of older people in Wales, whilst Dame Joan’s role was limited to listening to older people’s concerns and raising them with the appropriate authorities. In a statement announcing her resignation as the Voice of Older People, she describes how the role has gained a much wider scope than anticipated: ‘It became clear that older people have a great range of concerns…There remain many issues – pensions, social care, retirement age – which will continue to be of significance for more and more people as our population ages. I believe it is now time for the next Government to consider appointing a full-time Commissioner for Older People.’ The Welsh Commissioner for Older People, Ruth Marks, echoed Dame Joan’s call for an English counterpart to her role, commenting: ‘I have legal powers set out by an Act of Parliament…which enable me to more effectively safeguard the rights of older people and review the laws affecting them.’

In a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by new charity Age UK, 78% of people aged over 60 said that they don’t believe that older people’s voices are heard by society. There are now more people aged over 60 in the UK – almost 20% – than there are aged under 18, according to Age UK.

Spitfire hero dies as NHS reinstates care funding

Cheselden — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:39:00 +0000

In January, we reported on the case of John Mejor, 89, whose continuing care funding was withdrawn by NHS Devon, despite his severe health needs. Mr Mejor had diabetes and advanced dementia and had also suffered a series of strokes, after which he moved into a care home as he was too ill for his family to care for him. The NHS awarded continuing care funding but this was revoked 18 months later against the advice of his GP. The plight of Mr Mejor, a World War II Spitfire pilot and squadron leader, attracted nationwide attention. NHS Devon finally agreed in March to reinstate Mr Mejor’s care funding for another 12 months, but he died just a few days later.

Are you or a relative paying for care despite having a serious, long term health condition? You could be eligible for NHS funding. Contact Cheselden today so we can review your case.

MPs pledge support for dementia campaign

Cheselden — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:37:00 +0000

With the general election looming, MPs from several parties have announced their support for Community Care’s campaign to make dementia a major political priority. So far, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid, the Green Party and the SNP have all voiced their support for the Dementia Declaration. The campaign calls for a full parliamentary debate about the future of dementia care during the general election and for the next government to make dementia a priority when allocating resources. A range of organisations are already backing the Dementia Declaration, including the Alzheimer’s Society, the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, Age UK, Counsel and Care, Carers UK, Dementia UK and the National Care Forum.

Welsh social care reform will be restricted despite devolution

Cheselden — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:36:00 +0000

A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has concluded that, despite being devolved, Wales faces heavy restrictions on how it can reform its social care system. Even though the Welsh Assembly is responsible for the country’s long term care policy and has its own Older People’s Strategy, it has to adopt UK-wide policies on benefits, welfare and tax set by Westminster. And the fact that social care is inextricably linked to the benefits system means that it is impossible for Wales to make any drastic reforms to how its social care system is structured and funded. Further to the publication in March of the English White Paper on social care reform, Wales is soon to release the results of its own Green Paper consultation process. Deputy Minister Gwenda Thomas acknowledges that, in some respects, the country will have to follow England’s lead: ‘Given that much of the social care legislation is on an England and Wales basis, it will be essential that we continue working with the UK Government to establish a new system of paying for care that is fair, affordable, and sustainable in the long term.’

In related news, Ms Thomas recently announced a funding boost of £3.4 million for the second phase of the Older People’s Strategy. £1.8 million will be spent on running the Commissioner for Older People’s office and the remaining £1.6 million on implementing the Strategy regionally across Wales. Ms Thomas comments: ‘The funding (will) encourage Local Authorities and the Voluntary Sector in Wales to take a strategic approach to older people’s issues, tackle age discrimination and plan for an ageing society in our communities.’ Wales has been recognised internationally for taking the lead in addressing both the benefits and challenges of an ageing population.

Saga survey shows more people now aware of care costs

Cheselden — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:34:00 +0000

A survey by Saga Care Funding Advice Service has shown that more people are now aware of how much it costs to fund long term care. On average, respondents guessed the annual cost of a care home place at around £330 less than the actual average price, compared to guessing £1,200 less in the previous survey in 2008. People aged between 50 and 60 had the most realistic ideas about the cost of care, while those aged over 75 underestimated the cost by around 20%. The survey also found that 26% of people aged over 50 – 5.5 million people if applied to the UK population – would not qualify for any assistance from the state in paying for care costs. And 43% of respondents said they would have to sell their homes if they moved into residential care. Saga also discovered that care home fees across the UK vary by almost 56%. Northern Irish homes were found to have the lowest fees on average and the Home Counties has the most expensive.

How the 2010 Budget affects care funding

Cheselden — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:32:00 +0000

The 2010 Budget, released on 24 March, includes a number of changes that affect anyone who is means-tested for their ability to pay care home fees. In particular, the savings thresholds for people living in residential care have changed. You must now have at least £14,250 of capital before you can be asked to pay towards your care, an increase of £250. And the upper savings limited has been increased from £23,000 to £23,250. There are also changes to the way that some kinds of income and capital are treated during the means-testing process. For full details, you can read the Charging for Residential Accommodation Guide (CRAG) amendment 29. This can be downloaded from the Department of Health’s website, where you can also read the updated version of the full CRAG document. Or read our updated Care Homes Factsheet 7 which summarises the most important points.

From 1 April 2010, the weekly rates of NHS-funded Nursing Care for care home residents have increased by 2.25% to £108.70 standard rate and £149.60 higher rate. For more information on NHS-funded Nursing Care, please read our Factsheet 5.

The Budget has also made changes to the amount of most state benefits, such as Carer’s Allowance and Disability Living Allowance. On 1 April, a new benefit called Carer’s Credit was introduced. This entitles people that care for a dependent relative for 20-34 hours a week to claim National Insurance credits towards their state pension. We have updated our State Benefits Factsheet 8 to show the relevant changes made in the Budget.

To find out more about the Budget and the implications it could have on your personal finances, please visit the Treasury website or talk to your financial adviser.

Reactions to the White Paper on social care reform

Cheselden — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:47:00 +0000

A selection of reactions from politicians, charities and social care experts to the proposals put forward in Labour’s White Paper on social care, ‘Building the National Care Service’.

‘This is a very important day for securing decent care in later life. We welcome the government’s staged approach to reforming the care system, its commitment to give free care to those most in need and free care to those in residential settings after two years. These reforms comprise a significant reform agenda for the next parliament.’

Michelle Mitchell, charity director of Age Concern and Help the Aged

‘Free care for all is a historic commitment and signals a new frontier to the welfare state. Everyone needing care should be assured that their needs will be put first. The white paper is a landmark that heralds better care for generations to come.’

Stephen Burke, chief executive of the charity Counsel and Care

‘This is an ambitious plan and if all political parties work together it provides a real opportunity to turn around the social care crisis we currently face. However this will take time and we now need information of how the immediate funding shortfall is to be met.‘

Ruth Sutherland, Acting Chief Executive, The Alzheimer’s Society

‘We welcome a staged approach but this will only work if detailed proposals are set out without delay. While political consensus is vital, further deliberation could slow down the momentum for reform.’

Anna Dixon, acting chief executive of the King’s Fund

‘Social care in Britain has been in crisis for decades, but many older people and their families will not be able to wait until 2016 before they get any help.’

Dot Gibson, general secretary of the National Pensioners’ Coalition

‘We’re disappointed by the delay, lack of detail and any figures. Overall, it seems like a lot of waiting just to be told that they are going to a Royal Commission – which they could easily ignore as they did with long term care in 1999 – to draw up proposals for a change in the system for 2015.’

Emma Soames, Saga spokesman

‘The Government is in complete retreat and they have ended up with not a White Paper but frankly a train crash. We seem to have arrived at the point where Andy Burnham is saying he wants everyone to have free care but he doesn’t know how to pay for it.’

Andrew Lansley, the shadow health secretary

‘After 13 years in power spent ducking social care reform, we probably shouldn’t be surprised that Labour has once again hit it (the funding issue) into the long grass… We’re now being offered a series of piecemeal reforms that have not been properly thought through or costed.’

Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman

Government publishes social care White Paper

Cheselden — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0000

Health secretary Andy Burnham has finally published the long-awaited White Paper on social care reform. The Paper, entitled ‘Building the National Care Service’ was unveiled on 30 March 2010 to mixed reactions from social care experts, charities and the political opposition. The Paper combines elements of July 2009’s Green Paper with the more recent Personal Care at Home Bill and some new proposals for the structure and funding of England’s social care system.

The National Care Service (NCS)

Andy Burnham says he has based his plans for the NCS on the same principles that were applied when the National Health Service (NHS) was established in 1948 – everyone will be covered under a universal NCS and everyone will have to contribute to its funding. He comments: ‘I…propose a system for social care similar to the rest of the welfare state, organised on a population basis where everyone makes a contribution and where everyone has a choice over how they make that contribution.’

The aims of the NCS

To introduce better preventive care, to reduce unnecessary hospital and care home admissions and support more people to live at home for longer
To provide personalised and person-centred care
To enable health and social care services to work together to provide integrated care
To stamp out the unfair aspects of the current system, such as varying standards and access to services across the country, and people having to sell their homes to fund care.

A staged introduction

It will take at least six years for the NCS to be fully rolled out. Mr Burnham has announced a three stage process to introduce the main elements:

From April 2011 (at the earliest), the Personal Care at Home Bill will allow 410,000 people in England to receive free care at home. 280,000 of these will have critical care needs and another 130,000 will receive support to enable them to keep living in their own homes. The estimated cost of implementing the Bill is £670 million.
In 2014, the government will start paying the nursing care fees for people that have lived in care homes for two years. Accommodation costs will not be included in this new initiative. Between 50,000 and 65,000 people are expected to benefit at an estimated cost of £1.1 billion. In addition, the government will introduce national social care criteria to assess people’s eligibility to social care funding, in an attempt to stamp out the current ‘postcode lottery’.
The third stage is the launch of a comprehensive NCS where care is free to everyone at the point of delivery and is funded by compulsory contributions from all taxpayers. This is scheduled to happen in 2016.

Funding the NCS

It will cost around £4.4 billion a year to fund the NCS. Mr Burnham has outlined £4.7 billion of measures so far, including:

£1.8 million of funds to be diverted from the NHS into social care in 2014-2015
£2.2 billion in savings from helping people stay in their own homes instead of moving into care homes or being admitted to hospital
£500 million a year from the freeze on inheritance tax announced in the recent Budget
£200 million from the recent decision to abolish the compulsory retirement age of 65.

However, the White Paper does not set out how the NCS will be funded in the long term. Instead, Mr Burnham intends to appoint a cross-party commission to decide this, after the forthcoming general election. The commission will base its decisions on the ‘comprehensive’ model of funding proposed in the Green Paper. This model, where the government contributes towards basic social care costs and the individual funds the rest themselves, proved the most popular during the Green Paper consultation process. People will probably have a choice about how they pay into the social care fund, for example:

Paying into a fund during their working lives
Contributing a portion of pension benefits after retirement
Paying a 10% tax on estates at retirement or after death.

The commission will also look at other ways of funding the NCS, including redistributing the funds currently used for non-means tested benefits such as Attendance Allowance.

Find out more

You can read the White Paper and supporting documents at the Department of Health’s website
You can watch a video of the White Paper’s launch event at the Care and Support website

DoH to provide more social care in the community

Cheselden — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:44:00 +0000

The Department of Health (DoH) has announced that it is aiming to relocate some social care services from hospitals to within the community, including patients’ homes, to enable it to make better use of its resources. A new organisation, the Centre for Workforce Intelligence (CWI) has been created to help move staff and facilities into a community setting and manage workforce planning in the longer term. Health minister Ann Kean has described the initiative as essential to improving the standard of social care in Britain and as enabling the DoH to provide more productive and person-centred care. You can find out more at the DoH website.

Better pensions for carers from April 2010

Cheselden — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:44:00 +0000

From April 2010, unpaid carers will receive a better deal on pensions if they work between 20 and 34 hours a week. They will be able to claim National Insurance credits for the hours they spend caring for elderly relatives, enabling them to build up a larger state pension. Previously, credits were only available for carers that work 35 a week or more. 70,000 carers are expected to benefit from the new rules. For more information, call the state pension helpline on 0800 678 1132.

Elderly care to be reviewed in Welsh hospitals

Cheselden — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:41:00 +0000

The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Ruth Marks, has announced that she is undertaking a review of the country’s hospitals to find out the extent to which older patients are being treated with dignity and respect. Around 40% of hospital patients in Wales are aged 65 or over. The review has been triggered by recent reports of poor care standards including mixed sex wards, neglected bed sores and older patients feeling too intimidated by staff to complain. The review will be chaired by former Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dame Deirdre Hine, and the subsequent report should be published by March 2011. Age Concern Cymru comments on the review: ‘It is vital that we establish why dignified care remains a problem for older people. The debate around dignity must continue, it cannot remain static and it should be frequently reviewed.’

In related news, the Bevan Foundation thinktank has recently published a report concluding that a number of social groups in Wales, including the elderly, ‘…consistently experience disadvantage and discrimination in almost all areas of life.’

House of Lords delays Personal Care at Home Bill

Cheselden — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:41:00 +0000

The House of Lords has voted for the introduction of Labour’s Personal Care at Home Bill to be delayed from October 2010 to April 2011 at the earliest. In the meantime, an independent study into the likely costs of the Bill will take place. The lengthy debate in the Lords saw a number of issues being raised around the Bill, including concerns that local authorities will struggle to find the £250 million that they are being asked to contribute to the total cost of £670 million. The Lords has also passed an amendment to the Bill which will cause it to lapse if it is not implemented within two years. Cross-bench peer Lord Best explained why the Lords has taken its decisions: ‘First there is the worry that they (the government) cannot get arrangements to help 400,000 people in a new way up and running in the next few months. These are months that will include local and national elections, with possible changes of local leadership and local policies, and which also cover the weeks of the summer holidays. And second, local authorities are concerned that their budgets have already been set for 2010-11.’ Care services minister Phil Hope expressed his dismay at the outcome of the Lords debate and spoke of the disappointment that care charities and people that are set to benefit from the Bill will feel.

The Personal Care at Home Bill, announced by Gordon Brown in October 2009, aims to provide free home care for 400,000 older people with the severest care needs. The Bill has attracted widespread criticism around the estimated costs – considered by experts as far too low – as well as doubts around how the care itself will be provided.

Social care funding debate finally makes progress

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Further to the recent political rows about the future of England’s social care funding, a cross-party blueprint document has now been drawn up which will form the basis of the next round of discussion. The document, signed by social care experts from all three main political parties, builds on the recommendations made in July’s Green Paper on social care. It makes explicit criticism of Gordon Brown’s subsequent and conflicting announcement that personal care will become free for everyone aged over 65 that has ‘critical’ needs. The blueprint focuses on 10 core principles for reforming the existing system in a way that can be realistically funded. In line with the Green Paper, it sets out a funding model based on contributions from both the state and individuals. As the population ages, the burden of future cost will be spread across general taxation or some type of insurance scheme. The proposal of a one-off payment to be made on retirement or after death will not be used as a starting point for discussion, although lump sum payments of this kind could form part of an individual’s insurance contributions. Overall, the blueprint’s signatories conclude that any future system ‘must be predicated on choice.’

Charities claim respite care funds are ‘spent elsewhere’

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:54:00 +0000

The charities Crossroads and Princess Royal Trust for Carers are claiming that millions of pounds of funding originally intended to pay for carers’ respite breaks has been diverted and spent on other NHS services. In 2008, the government announced that it would double respite care funding to £50 million this year and £100 million in 2011. But because the money has not been ring-fenced, local NHS Trusts have been able to spend the money ‘to best meet local needs’. The two charities say that only 23% of the funds are actually being used to provide respite care for Britain’s six million unpaid carers. Their statistics are based on responses to Freedom of Information requests from 100 NHS Trusts. Imelda Redmond of Carers UK comments on their findings: ‘The Government made a huge fanfare about the (respite care) strategy and it has amounted to so little. Respite care is the number one thing carers want. It can allow them to carry on, in many cases preventing an elderly person from having to go into residential care.’

A recent YouGov survey of 767 carers revealed that 41% rarely or never received respite care, with less than half receiving any support from social services or the NHS.

59% of adult social care budgets to be cut

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:53:00 +0000

A survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has revealed that 59% of local authorities in England and Wales are planning to cut adult social care budgets by an average of 7% in the next financial year. Although all areas of public spending will be under pressure, councils are safeguarding their budgets for children’s services in the wake of last year’s Baby P scandal – at the expense of adult services. With the introduction of free personal care looming for many elderly people, councils will be looking to cut back on other types of adult social care, such as community health care services. And home care charges for many vulnerable and elderly people that won’t qualify for free personal care are likely to increase. The eligibility rules for any type of free adult social care will also tighten. John Dixon, joint committee chair of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care comments: ‘(The cuts are)…worrying because it is not a proper balance of needs and resources… Money is dropping fast and if you are having to increase your spending on children’s services, you will have to reduce spending on other services very dramatically.’

As the survey results were released, Cornwall Council has announced that it will increase its adult social care budget by £11 million to £90 million in the 2010-2011 financial year. The Council has agreed to boost its adult social care funding after a Care Quality Commission report rated its services as among the worst in the country.

Welsh Assembly criticised for delayed Dementia Plan

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:52:00 +0000

The Welsh Conservative party has criticised the Assembly for failing to publish a National Dementia Plan, first announced two years ago. Shadow ministers pointed out that Welsh Local Health Boards are unable to plan how they will fund dementia services in future until they receive official guidance. In the meantime, problems that the Plan is intended to tackle are getting worse. There is an increasing demand for dementia services across Wales, but GPs and care home staff are still not receiving enough training. There is also a serious shortfall in the availability of specialist care home places, with just 14 places available per 1,000 people aged 75 or over, compared to 30 places per 1,000 in comparative areas of England.

Assembly Ministers responded to the Conservatives’ criticisms by stressing that the National Dementia Plan is making progress. You can watch the debate between the parties, which took place on 3 March, on the BBC website.

Ministers still making little progress on social care reform

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:09:55 +0000

After weeks of acrimonious debate about the future of social care funding, the three main political parties met on 10 March at a conference organised by the charity Age Concern and Help the Aged (now Age UK). Unfortunately, ministers failed once again to agree on a funding scheme and fresh rows broke out. The Conservative party, which had boycotted the previous round of talks, refused to discuss the option of a lump sum payment to be made on retirement or to be taken from an individual’s estate after death. Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley has branded the Labour scheme a ‘death tax’ and is still backing a voluntary insurance payment of £8,000. This is despite evidence to suggest that most pensioners cannot afford this payment without selling or remortgaging their homes – precisely what the Tories wish to avoid. Labour is putting forward three options, all of which would be topped up by a basic state-funded care package:

The compulsory levy, possibly 10% of an individual’s estate
Defer retirement by three years to the age of 68 and use pension contributions
Payment by instalment up to the age of 65.

Speaking after the conference, Health Secretary Andy Burnham stated his intention to formally propose these three options in a white paper, due to be published in the next few weeks He confirmed that Labour is in favour of the compulsory levy, which he said could prevent people having to sell their homes to pay for nursing care. The Lib Dems welcomed his offer of setting up a cross-party committee for social care reform if Labour is re-elected, but the offer was rejected by the Tories. Andrew Lansley commented that there is now ‘a clear dividing line‘ between the two parties.

The parties’ failure to reach an agreement and to discuss social care funding options amicably, has been rounded condemned by charities and social service directors, who described the Age UK conference as ‘a political bun fight‘. And a House of Commons health select committee report on social care, published on 12 March has made an urgent call for political point-scoring to be put aside if ‘demographic despair and alarmism‘ is to be avoided. Age UK policy director Andrew Harrop comments: ‘The parties continue to be bitterly divided on whether there should be new compulsory payments to fund care in later life. All the options being discussed require more public money‚ in one way or another and politicians need to say where it will come from. In our view, none of the parties have yet set out credible proposals for comprehensive reform of the care system.’

King’s Fund advocates ‘partnership’ model for social care funding

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:08:52 +0000

The King’s Fund think tank has entered the social care funding debate and is advocating a ‘partnership’ model of funding, where the state would pay for 50% of social care. The remainder would be funded by the individual with the government adding £1 for every £2 paid. The partnership model is one of the three options put forward in July 2009’s Green Paper on social care, but the King’s Fund has modified the original proposal to reduce the state-funded proportion. Although the scheme would still cost the government more than the current system, the King’s Fund believes it would provide fairer access to social care services. Its report, entitled ‘Securing good care for more people‘, warns that at present, more and more people are being excluded from social care due to local authority ‘rationing‘ of services and budgets, and this trend must be reversed. Acting chief executive of the King’s Fund, Anna Dixon, comments: ‘The current social care system often falls short of meeting the needs of the people who rely on it and will not be able to cope with increasing demand for services as the population ages. The people who stand to benefit most from our proposals are those on moderate and middle incomes who are heavily penalised by the current system.’

The report discounts the ‘death tax’ option for social care funding, which is currently favoured by the Labour party. It also advises against funding social care for everyone through general taxation as this could give rise to a situation where poorer people’s taxes are funding social care for the well-off.

Government falls behind on National Dementia Strategy targets

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:08:14 +0000

A report by the Committee of Public Accounts (CPA) has indicated that dementia funding has fallen since the National Dementia Strategy was announced in 2009. One of the Strategy’s promises was to dramatically increase research funding, but this fell by 7% in 2008-2009 to just under £30million. The report also criticises the Department of Health for not being able to account for £60million of its dementia spending and for failing to tackle regional variations in the provision and quality of care services. The CPA’s findings follow a National Audit Office report, published in January 2010, which found that the National Dementia Strategy was ‘at risk of failure‘. Chairman of the cross-party CPA, Edward Leigh, commented on the report: ‘There is a wide gulf between what the Department of Health keeps saying it is going to do about dementia services and what it actually does. This committee feels badly let down by the department’s failure-to act.’ In response to these comments, the Alzheimer’s Society called on the government to act immediately to make dementia care a priority across the NHS. Health minister Phil Hope argued that the Strategy is moving forward, citing the recent appointment of a national clinical director for dementia and the launch of a new awareness campaign as evidence of its progress.

In related news, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has announced that it will undertake an audit of dementia care in hospitals across 90% of Primary Care Trusts. Funded by the Department of Health, the audit will question carers, patients and staff on areas including discharge planning, carer involvement, training and drug prescription. The College will publish its findings in December 2011 and use them to develop a ‘quality mark’ that will be awarded to the hospitals providing the best dementia care.

CQC reveals regional variations in care home places

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:07:11 +0000

The Care Quality Commission, which regulates health and social care services in England, has published a report showing ‘a wide variation‘ in the availability of care home places in different local authority areas. For example, Wokingham has only 12.9 places per 1,000 people aged over 65, whilst the City of London has 28.3. The differences do not necessarily reflect affluence levels. The CQC has expressed concern at its findings and has pledged to carry out more work to understand why there are variations as well as continuing to assess the quality of care provided by councils. The charity Age Concern and Help the Aged (now Age UK) commented that it was already aware of differing levels of provision, adding: ‘Population age and personal wealth are often major factors in determining whether someone qualifies for local authority funding support.’

Political row breaks out over funding Personal Care at Home Bill

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:00:15 +0000

The Conservative party has described England’s councils as ‘furious‘ that the government expects them to pay £250 million towards funding Gordon Brown’s Personal Care at Home Bill. During a Question Time exchange on 9 March, Shadow Communities Secretary Caroline Spelman stated that it was unrealistic of Labour to expect local authorities to carry this financial burden. Council leaders have already raised doubts about their ability to meet the costs of the Bill, due to the increasing pressure on their budgets and widespread cuts in public spending. Communities Secretary John Denham defended Labour’s strategy, commenting: ‘It is a massive vote of confidence in the ability of local government to deliver this policy and I believe that the savings local government is being asked to make can be done.‘ You can watch a recording of the Question Time debate at the BBC website.

The Personal Care at Home Bill is estimated to cost £670m, of which the remaining £420m will be provided by the Department of Health. However, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has warned that in reality, it could cost twice that amount. The Bill aims to provide free home care to around 400,000 elderly people with the most pressing care needs, regardless of their means.

Continuing care postcode lottery still a problem

ericstenson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:08 +0000

The government has admitted that, despite the introduction of the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare in 2007, there are still wide regional variations in the likelihood that a patient will be assessed as eligible for funding. The chances of qualifying for continuing care are up to ten times more in certain areas, including Shropshire, Hull and Liverpool. Meanwhile, people living in areas such as South-East Essex, Birmingham and Croydon are much less likely to be considered eligible. As a result, many older people with serious, long-term illnesses have to sell their homes and use up savings to fund care home costs that the NHS should pay for – a situation that the National Framework was designed to correct. The Framework gives a single set of eligibility criteria and a prescribed assessment process that all NHS Trusts have to follow when considering a patient’s eligibility for funding. But the rules are being misapplied or ignored altogether by some Trusts – often in a bid to conserve NHS budgets by passing responsibility for the patient’s care to the local authority, which will means-test the patient for their ability to pay. Cheselden’s managing director Colin Ball comments: ‘It’s appalling that, nearly three years after the National Framework was unveiled, certain NHS Trusts are still taking a cavalier approach to awarding continuing care funding. If a patient has a serious, over-riding health care need, their care should be funded by the NHS – it’s as simple as that. Instead we have a situation where critically ill people are being forced to sell their homes and spend their children’s inheritance – causing a great deal of distress – because they have been wrongly denied funding. I would urge anyone in this situation to contact Cheselden immediately so that we can review your case for current or retrospective care funding.’

Relationship between NHS continuing care and free personal care clarified

ericstenson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:59:08 +0000

The House of Lords is currently debating the exact nature of the forthcoming Personal Care at Home Bill, before issuing a White Paper. In response to questions raised about how the Bill will affect people who currently receive NHS-funded continuing care for serious health needs Baroness Thornton made the following statement: ‘If an individual has primary healthcare needs, NHS continuing care should meet this and the individual’s package of care would be provided by the NHS and not by the local authority. It is important to recognise that if an individual needs continuing care to meet needs which do not include a significant health component, this will be provided by the local authority – it is right that they should be able to receive their personal care free of charge, if they qualify for it. It is important that NHS continuing care and free personal care are recognised as different ways of delivering health and social care where the balance between health and care may differ.’ This is an important point as people can receive NHS continuing care at home, and it needs to be clear in which cases the NHS will fund and arrange care and when this must be done by the local authority.

Department of Health seeks Dignity Champions

ericstenson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:58:13 +0000

Further to February’s Dignity Action Day, the Department of Health (DoH) is looking for people across the UK to become Dignity Champions who will work to make a real difference to the lives of older and disabled people. The DoH defines dignity as caring for a person with respect and treating them as an individual with unique needs. Treating people with dignity can make a big difference to thousands of vulnerable people who receive health and social care services. Care Services Minister Phil Hope said that dignity must be at the heart of care and that the system is being changed to it fairer, simpler and more affordable. He added: ‘The ageing population means more of us will need care and support at some point. We’re asking the public to give a bit of time to make a big difference to the lives of those receiving care by becoming a Dignity Champion.’

RCN calls for specialist nursing for all long-term care patients

ericstenson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:56:44 +0000

The Royal College of Nursing is urging the government to provide funding that will enable all patients with long-term illnesses to receive specialist nursing care. Its call comes shortly after the Prime Minister announced that all cancer patients will receive this care. The RCN wants to extend this to cover other long-term conditions such as Parkinson’s, MS or epilepsy. The College claims that specialist nursing care provided at home could save the NHS up to £220 million per year, as it helps prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and GP home visits. At a time when many specialist nursing positions are under threat due to public spending cutbacks, the RCN wants the government to provide guaranteed funding so that vital services remain available to patients. Chief Executive Dr Peter Carter comments: ‘While the temptation may be to cut or downgrade specialist nursing roles, this would be a false economy which would only add to the growing cost of treating long-term conditions. Specialist nurses are a unique lifeline for patients and families, who are unequivocal in saying that the specialist nurse is the key factor in preserving their quality of life.’

Two new campaigns launched to support people with dementia

ericstenson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:55:37 +0000

The government and the Alzheimer’s Society have both launched new campaigns to help support the nation’s 820,000 dementia sufferers. Care services minister Phil Hope is leading the ‘Living Well’ programme, which was developed after government research showed that a third of people are uncomfortable around dementia sufferers. The programmes will use TV and radio to raise public awareness about the condition and demonstrate simple ways to help people who have dementia. It aims to show that, with the right support, friends or relatives can help sufferers cope with the condition and carry on doing normal things for many years. Mr Hope comments: ‘Dementia doesn’t discriminate and neither should we. Our research shows that too often people fear dementia and this causes them to avoid people with the condition, making them feel isolated and stigmatised. We want to start to break down this stigma.’

The Alzheimer’s Society’s scheme, entitled ‘This is me’ was developed to improve standards of dementia care in hospitals. Patients or carers fill in a leaflet describing themselves and their individual needs, which is then passed to healthcare staff. As well as promoting person-centred care, the initiative also aims to help care workers to cope better with challenging behaviour from patients. It is hoped that ‘This is me’ will lead to a more consistent quality of dementia care, and help reverse a current trend of patients leaving hospital in a poorer condition than when they were admitted – both findings from recent Alzheimer’s Society reports.

Law Commission announces consultation to simplify social care law

ericstenson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:53:58 +0000

The Law Commission has launched a consultation process to overhaul the laws governing the provision of social care by local authorities in England and Wales. At present, an authority’s duties are covered by 38 separate Acts of Parliament, some dating back to the 1940s. The Law Commission wants to pull these together into a single new Act which could go before Parliament in two years time. In particular, the Law Commission wants to simply and streamline local authority processes for assessing social care needs, investigating suspected abuse or neglect, and making decisions according to a ‘national eligibility framework’. The revised laws would make it easier for people to receive community care services, such as meals on wheels, as councils would be obliged to assess their needs based on fixed criteria. The treatment of part-time carers, who do not currently qualify for carer support services, would also change. The new legislation will seek to give around 3.2 million part-time carers the same rights as their 2.2 million full-time counterparts. Councils would have to assess the needs of all carers and if they are eligible for financial help, make direct payments to fund support services such as respite care. Charities campaigning for the rights of vulnerable adults and their carers have welcomed the consultation process. Stephen Burke of Counsel and Care commented: ‘We are aware that the vast array of legislation and guidance is absolutely bewildering to older people and their carers. Pulling all the legislation together into one statute will bring much needed clarity about the rights of older people and their carers.’ However, the Guardian warns that the consultation paper’s proposal to dispense with a central definition of a disabled person or service user could ‘…expose some groups to potential loss of residential accommodation if their needs were judged low or moderate.’

Row breaks out over location of continuing care

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:52:29 +0000

The NHS in Norfolk and Great Yarmouth and Waverney is proposing to reduce its continuing healthcare costs by removing a patient’s right to receive care at home if a cheaper option is available. The Trust has launched a consultation process recommending that continuing care is provided in a care home or hospice – the location of which will be chosen by the NHS. As well as going against the guidelines laid out in the National Framework for Continuing Care, which stipulate that the location of care should not be considered as a factor in awarding funding, the proposal means that many patients will be forced to move to homes and hospices far away from their families. The Trust has decided that it will not fund any continuing care option that is 20% or more expensive than the cheapest option. Home care is usually around double the cost of residential care in a nursing home; however the government is currently driving the NHS towards providing more care in the patient’s home wherever possible. Although new patients that have just qualified for continuing care funding will be mostly affected by the change, existing recipients who are receiving care at home may be forced to move into homes if their conditions worsen. The Trust is defending its decision to limit the availability of continuing care at home, citing clinical safety as a priority and stating that home care presents a higher risk to the patient. Deputy Chief Executive David Stonehouse states: ‘If upon review, it is clear that their care should continue in a specialised nursing home then we shall work closely with the patients and their families to ensure their needs and wishes are respected as far as possible.’ Local MP Norman Lamb is not convinced, commenting that: ‘Pushing people into nursing homes against their will is a very dangerous game.’

NHS to provide more home care

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:51:26 +0000

Health secretary Andy Burnham has announced plans for the NHS to transfer a growing number of services from hospital to the patient’s home. Treatments such as chemotherapy and kidney dialysis are among those earmarked for a change in setting. The move is seen as part of Labour’s plans to tailor health and social care services around the needs of the individual – increasing patient satisfaction and reducing costs. Existing NHS schemes which aim to support people with long-term conditions in the community rather than in hospital or residential care have already saved the NHS around £2.1 billion. Mr Burnham comments: ‘The time has come for the NHS to make a decisive shift in providing more care out of hospitals and in the patient’s community and home… By making NHS services truly people-centred and ensuring that patients have access to high quality, integrated and efficient community services, the NHS could save up to £2.7bn a year.’

However, Mr Burnham’s announcement came as the charity Age Concern and Help the Aged released new figures which indicate that providing more NHS services at home may not be enough to help older people stay independent. Their survey results reveal that 60% of older people do not think councils give them enough support to help them stay in their own homes. 80% of respondents rely on friends, neighbours and paid carers to help them manage basic tasks such as shopping and cleaning. Charity director Andrew Harrop comments: ‘Our research clearly shows older people are struggling to live independently in their own homes because the system is failing to provide them with an adequate level of care. Older people and their families deserve a care system which enshrines dignity and fairness – it’s time for our politicians to deliver this for them.’

Audit Commission report warns of growing elderly care costs

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:50:09 +0000

A new report from the Audit Commission, entitled ‘Under Pressure’, warns that local authorities are unaware of the spiralling care costs that will result from the UK’s ageing population. The report predicts that councils will struggle to cope with a potential doubling of care costs by 2026 – accompanied by increasing pressure on their budgets and public spending cuts. Local authorities are currently missing out on opportunities to plan for the future and make savings because they lack information about the ageing population in their respective areas. By 2026, 40% of the UK’s population will be aged over 50, compared with 34% in 2009. The Audit Commission recommends that councils start to make savings straightaway by investing in services such as housing and leisure and by working together to prevent the problems that lead to social care needs, such as poor housing and social isolation. Audit Commission chairman Michael Higgins comments: ‘Innovative, personalised services mean older people stay independent longer, saving public money. There are huge financial pressures on councils in the years ahead, but re-designing services and exploiting technology can make them better, more efficient and more personal.’ A spokesperson for the Local Government Association defended the local authorities’ current position, arguing that ‘This report underestimates what is being done up and down the country to help improve the lives of older people.’ You can read the report at the Audit Commission’s website.

Funding announced to help older Welsh people stay independent

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:48:57 +0000

The Welsh Assembly has announced that it is making £4.7 million of funding available to help older and disabled people stay living in their own homes for longer. The funds will be given to Care and Repair agencies across Wales, which work to provide people with the support they need to live independently, such as repairs and adaptations to the home. As well as practical help, Care and Repair also offers advice about housing funding and gives assistance with arranging, overseeing and inspecting building works. The £4.7 million of funding is almost 10% more than the previous year’s allocation, showing the Welsh government’s commitment to enabling more people to have a better quality of life in their own homes. Minister Gwenda Thomas comments: ‘The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to improving the lives of older people by ensuring that the older generation live independently for as long as they choose…Through this investment more people can be supported to stay at home, where they would wish to be…The funding also helps older people return to their own homes sooner after spending time in hospital.’

Welsh Assembly Member calls for health and social care services to work together

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:47:33 +0000

Peter Black, health spokesman for the Welsh Liberal Democrats, has called for the country’s health and social care services to work together to provide a more efficient and cost-effective service. His article on the Wales Online website was published shortly after he launched a consultation process to discuss the way forward for community care in Wales. Mr Black points out that although health and social care services share many common aims, they are managed and funded separately, which can lead to duplicated services or, conversely a gap in a patient’s care when they are being transferred from one service to another. He gives the example of a patient who is unnecessarily detained in hospital because a care home place has not been arranged in good time – often because of conflicts over who will take responsibility and pay for continuing care after discharge. By removing this conflict, both staff and patients will have a more positive experience. He explores the option of partnering local authorities and health boards to provide jointly-run and managed services – a scheme which may shortly be trialled in Powys. Another option is for local authorities to transfer some of their responsibilities to an independent organisation, which would eradicate conflicts over duties and funding. Mr Black is inviting feedback from staff and service users on these and other possibilities in his consultation paper, which can be read or downloaded at the Freedom Central (Welsh Lib Dem) website.

CQC report calls for radical change in care system

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:45:48 +0000

The Care Quality Commission’s annual report calls for a radical change to the current health and social care systems to ensure that predicted future demand can be met. The report estimates that by 2030, 1.7 million more adults will require care, which will put increasing pressure on public spending. It recommends that more services need to be made available to enable people to live at home for longer, to prevent unnecessary hospital and care home admissions and to shorten stays in residential care. Investing in these services could save the economy around £4.7 billion – but would require a ‘fundamental cultural shift towards people controlling their own care. Providing services that are tailored to an individual’s needs would be key to reducing costs and encouraging people to stay independent. The report also advocates better joined-up working between health and social care services and increased focus on reducing inequality and respecting people’s dignity and rights. CQC chair Jo Williams comments: ‘Overall, there have been steady improvements, and it is really important to celebrate that. Successes have come in areas that really matter to people such as…helping people live independently at home. But we are mindful of the fact that pockets of poor practice remain. This must be addressed…To cope, we need some radical changes in the way we organise and deliver services… A key part of this will involve helping people maintain their independence and health.’ You can read a summary or a full version of the report, entitled ‘The state of health care and adult social care’ at the CQC’s website.

Liberal Democrats announce respite care funding policy

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:44:32 +0000

The Liberal Democrats have unveiled their own plans for using the money set aside for funding the Personal Care at Home Bill. Party leader Nick Clegg announced that they would use the money to pay for respite care for Britain’s ‘hidden army of heroes’ – the five million unpaid carers that save the economy £87 billion every year. Any carer working for more than 50 hours per week, estimated at around one million people, would receive a week’s break every year. The scheme would operate by allocating carers a personal budget which they could use to pay for a week’s holiday, or just have time to themselves at home, whilst knowing that their relatives are receiving proper care in their absence. Addressing the King’s Fund in a speech on 22 February, Mr Clegg described the proposal as a just reward for ‘…some of the most dedicated, hardworking and undervalued’ people in the UK. The new initiative would complement the Carer’s Credit, a new benefit that will be launched in April and will help around 4.7 million carers who work 20 or more hours a week to increase their state pension funds. Carers’ charities have expressed their approval that the Liberal Democrats have chosen to focus on carers when allocating social care funding. However, Imelda Redmond of Carers UK added that ‘We do not want this to be at the expense of the improvements that would be delivered through the Personal Care at Home Bill.’

In his speech, Mr Clegg also called for the government to set up an independent cross-party commission to decide on the future of the UK’s social care system and its funding, commenting that ‘None of the political parties have got a fully-rounded, fully worked-out solution to this huge demographic problem.’

Political row erupts over social care funding

ericstenson — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:24:45 +0000

The growing tensions between the three main political parties around the future of social care funding have erupted into fierce Parliamentary debates and a row that was broadcast live on BBC One’s The Politics Show. Trouble flared after 78 social care leaders wrote an open letter to the Times newspaper, in which they detailed their concerns that Gordon Brown’s plans to provide free home care for 400,000 vulnerable people are ‘…unclear, unfunded and likely to have a significant impact on existing local services, including possible cuts and rises in council tax.’ Although the councillors voice their support for reforming the social care system so that those with the critical care needs receive more help, they criticise the government for raising false expectations in vulnerable people. They also argue that is unrealistic to expect local authorities to fund £250 million of the total £670 million costs of providing free home care, when they are already being asked to make significant efficiency savings. The letter closes by urging the government to ‘…commission urgently an independent review of the (free care) proposals.’

After the letter’s appearance in the Times the issue was raised in Parliament, where Conservative leader David Cameron challenged Gordon Brown to reveal where the funding for the Personal Care at Home Bill will come from. Mr Brown responded by accusing Mr Cameron of taking a ‘u turn on policy ‘– a reference to the fact that the Tories had previously pledged their support to funding free care. It was then revealed that the three main parties had been meeting privately in December 2009 to try to establish common ground for progressing social care reform. They had reached agreement in a number of key areas, but negotiations broke down when the Conservative Shadow Health Secretary refused to accept a compulsory inheritance levy of up to £20,000 as a funding option. There were also disagreements over the reform of certain disability benefits.

Matters came to a head when a recent article in the Guardian newspaper indicated that Labour may be in favour of pursuing the inheritance levy option. The Conservatives immediately responded by calling the levy a ‘death tax’ and circulating a poster showing a gravestone with the accompanying words ‘RIP off’. This move has been roundly condemned for further reducing a serious matter to political point-scoring. The MPs’ behaviour prompted a consortium of 18 charities to write their own letter to the Times, in which they call for the three main parties to put stop squabbling and focus on creating realistic, costed proposals for the future funding of elderly care.

Health secretary Andy Burnham then invited ministers, care providers, local authorities and charities to attend an emergency debate in mid February to try and put negotiations back on track. However, the Shadow Health Minister, Andrew Lansley, refused to attend unless the compulsory inheritance levy was removed as a possible funding option. Mr Lansley stated that the levy is unfair on people who decide to care for their relatives at home instead of moving them to a care home and that it is ‘…at odds with the wider structure of social care reform’. Mr Burnham refused to discount the levy, although he stressed that a variety of compulsory and voluntary options were all open to discussion; he denied Mr Lansley’s accusation that Labour has already secretly made its mind up to implement the ‘death tax.’ Mr Burnham also said that the £20,000 levy would be the maximum payable and the levy would be means-tested. The conference went ahead without the Conservative party being represented. Negotiations are currently underway for another conference to take place, to be organised by the consortium of charities, which the Conservative party is expected to attend.

You can read more about the social care debate and related issues by following the below links to selected news articles:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7021299.ece

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8507521.stm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/feb/14/tories-accused-over-elderly-care

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8523836.stm