The charity Carers UK reports that carers are at an increased risk of developing personal health problems due to the physical and psychological strain of caring. Those that care for a relative or friend for 15 hours or more every day are twice as likely to suffer from a short or long term illness, which could prevent them from being able to care properly for their dependents. Typical problems include mental health issues such as nervous breakdowns and physical complaints such as back problems, caused by lifting and moving without the correct support or equipment. Emily Holzhausen of Carers UK comments: ‘(Carers are left) with lasting chronic illness and disabilities and yet they still have to continue caring. It’s very important that support is put in place early on so they don’t end up with these types of health problems which are all preventable.’ Despite the fact that research shows that adequate respite care is essential for carers to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing, a recent report from the charities Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads for Carers has revealed that £40m (80%) of Government funding that was earmarked for respite care has been redirected by PCTs into other areas.

posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
13:58

MPs have discussed some of the problems faced by the UK’s army of unpaid carers in a report issued by the Committee of Public Accounts. Around £2 billion is paid out annually in benefits to the 900,000 carers who claim them. Their work saves the Government over £23 billion in social and health care costs every year. However, there are an estimated 6 million carers in the UK, contributing to a total saving to the Government of over £87 billion, many of which are not claiming benefits to which they may be entitled. In the report, MPs criticise the current system as being too complicated, with 20% of carers claiming benefits encountering problems with the application process. Typical problems include claimants having to apply for benefits they know they are not entitled to receive, simply to enable them to qualify for other, lesser benefits. Rules around the interaction of a carer’s benefits with the benefits of the person they are caring for are complex and confusing, with the risk of ‘losing out’ on extra money if benefits are applied for incorrectly. Lack of information for carers about benefits is also highlighted as a problem, whilst job centres are criticised for not providing enough support to help carers find part-time work. Committee chairman Edward Leigh comments on the report’s findings: ‘…the value of the service that these unpaid carers provide to society is not reflected in the quality of the DWP’s arrangements for providing them with financial and other support. Carers who apply for benefits should not have to wade through official written guidance and communications which can range from the hard to understand to the downright incomprehensible.’ The Committee’s report has recommended a series of actions to improve the situation, including: further research into the population of carers and the proportion that receive benefits; publicity campaigns to raise awareness of carers’ benefits; and easier access to extra payments for those carers that need the most support.

For more information about the benefits available to carers, please read Cheselden’s Factsheet 8: ‘State Benefits’ or visit the charity Carers UK’s website.

posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
16:35

Below is a selection of official responses to the Green Paper on the future of adult social care in England that was published on 14 July. To read Cheselden’s official response, click here. [link to response in Media section]

Social and health care sector responses

‘The NHS is responsible for funding the nursing care of patients who have health needs, regardless of whether they are in hospital, a care home or their own home. We would fiercely oppose a system where responsibility for meeting the costs of nursing care was shifted onto the patient and subject to means-testing when it should be free on the NHS.’

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing

‘Sharing the financial responsibility is the only way that good social care can be afforded. The case for change has been made and we must all respond to the green paper because there are huge implications. This is a long-term issue; it’s about what happens over the next quarter century and it also affects the NHS, housing and benefits.’

Allan Bowman, chair of the Social Care Institute for Excellence

‘The green paper, we hope, points the way towards ending a system in which people find it hard to understand what they are entitled to and what financial contribution they will have to pay towards the cost of their care. Any new system which emerges must be open, transparent about costs and what people can expect to pay and are entitled to receive wherever they live. And it must enhance the continued transformation of social care in a way which helps individuals take greater control of their lives, and care budget.’

Jenny Owen, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services

‘The current system of care is unsustainable in the future and even today has woeful inadequacies… There has been chronic under funding of care services for decades. The sector can rarely put into place the improvements it wants and its customers will expect. A National Care Service in England must also go hand in hand with improvements in quality of care. We urge people to respond to this green paper and to highlight that any new system must drive up quality if it is to command the confidence of citizens.’

Professor Jill Manthorpe, director of the social care workforce research unit at King’s College, London

Charity responses

‘Creating a national care service on a par with the NHS is just what this country needs to meet the demands and expectations of our ageing population. Filling the care gap is one of the biggest challenges we all face. We simply can’t do nothing and ignore the needs of this and future generations of older people…Any new funding system must be fairer, simpler and transparent for all. A ‘care duty’ on people’s estates as a one-off payment to fund comprehensive care has the hallmarks of a better system. Better care is key to building a better country for everyone.’

Stephen Burke, chief executive of Counsel + Care

‘What we need to do now is to test these ideas with the public and importantly, with families – disabled and older people and the people caring for them. They need to tell us what they think will work. It is time for the public to make their views heard in this big care debate. We must make this one of the most important policies of the decade since it touches so many people’s lives.’

Imelda Redmond, chief executive of Carers UK

‘High quality care must be available to all who need it regardless of where they live and whether they are rich or poor. With time now short, the government must set out a clear timetable to move from debating options to agreeing and implementing specific proposals.’

Michelle Mitchell, director of Age Concern and Help the Aged

‘Today the Big Care Debate begins on three new models of funding social care, an essential lifeline for millions of people. Only a system that delivers good care at a fair price will succeed. Currently, if you are unfortunate enough to be amongst the one in three people over 65 who die with dementia you could face enormous bills for poor quality care. This is a gamble people shouldn’t be forced to take…A national care service is a bold vision and it will take courage to see it through. It cannot afford to fail.’

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Society

posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
12:48

Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK, writes in the Guardian that the present social care system needs to change, with carers and the people to be placed at the centre. She describes the difficulties and obstacles faced by the UK’s six million unpaid carers, with information and support hard to find and often varying hugely between regions. Ms Redmond argues that the situation must be addressed urgently, commenting: ‘Disabled, older and chronically ill people and carers should not be living in financial hardship. We need a society that treats them equally and fairly.’ She goes on to explain that a reformed care system should offer equal opportunities for those being cared for and their carers, including chances to work and have hobbies, as well as a clear and accessible support system. Carers UK is campaigning for the introduction of a national entitlement for social care, so that anyone entering the system knows their rights and is aware of what to expect. Another key concern is how social care will respond to the economic changes that will be brought about by the UK’s ageing population, as a smaller workforce struggles to support a growing population of retirees. Ms Redmond explains the increasing importance of protecting carers’ rights in this climate: ‘The lack of good quality care arranged around work is affecting our economy right now. If we do not get this system right, we risk losing the positive contributions made by carers and increasing the negative sides of caring. Radical reform to the care system is not just a moral necessity but an economic one too.’

posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
12:16

The Right Care, Right Deal coalition consists of three UK charities – Carers UK, Counsel & Care and Help the Aged. They are campaigning for the Government to stop councils taking decisions on an adult’s eligibility and entitlement to social care. They want the Government to create a national system for England. To find out more, visit their website: www.rightcare.org.uk.

Right Care, Right Deal’s call for reform comes as the Department of Health reveals strong public support for a national system, arising from its six-month public engagement process on the future of adult care. The public engagement process, which ended in November 2008, will inform a green paper on long-term reform to the system in England next year. To keep up to date on progress, visit the Government website www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk.

posted by Cheselden Continuing Care at
13:26