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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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.