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The population of Britain is aging: people are living longer and having fewer children than in the past. With more people in need of health and social care services and proportionately less people of working age to pay for these services, how to pay – and who should pay – for care is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.
The population of Britain is aging: people are living longer and having fewer children than in the past. With more people in need of health and social care services and proportionately less people of working age to pay for these services, how to pay – and who should pay – for care is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.
Unlike the National Health Service (NHS) which is funded through taxes, social care must be paid for by those who need it. Many people are entitled to help with paying for this care. Under the current system, anyone whose savings and capital amounts to less than £14,000 is entitled to have their care paid for entirely by the state, while those with less than £23, 000 may have their care part-funded. Even so, paying for care can be a huge burden for families and cause tremendous anxiety, with an estimated 30 000 people forced to sell their homes each year to meet the costs.
Unlike the National Health Service (NHS) which is funded through taxes, social care must be paid for by those who need it. Many people are entitled to help with paying for this care. Under the current system, anyone whose savings and capital amounts to less than £14,000 is entitled to have their care paid for entirely by the state, while those with less than £23, 000 may have their care part-funded. Even so, paying for care can be a huge burden for families and cause tremendous anxiety, with an estimated 30 000 people forced to sell their homes each year to meet the costs.
Pensioner Harriet Roberts explains, “We’ve always been reasonably well off and I’ve been paying into a private pension plan for many years. It’s lucky that I have – my husband has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. My children live a long way away and they’ve got their own lives, I couldn’t cope with looking after him by myself anymore. His mind may have gone but he’s physically fit for his age and will likely live many years. If I didn’t have the extra income from my private pension, I would have had to sell my house to pay the nursing home”.
Pensioner Harriet Roberts explains, “We’ve always been reasonably well off and I’ve been paying into a private pension plan for many years. It’s lucky that I have – my husband has Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. My children live a long way away and they’ve got their own lives, I couldn’t cope with looking after him by myself anymore. His mind may have gone but he’s physically fit for his age and will likely live many years. If I didn’t have the extra income from my private pension, I would have had to sell my house to pay the nursing home”.
In an attempt to alleviate the hardship faced by thousands of elderly people, the government has proposed a shake-up to the system including raising the threshold for means-tested financial assistance, and introducing a cap of £75,000 meaning that anyone spending more than this sum on care – people who live in residential care homes for many years for example – will thereafter have their care paid for by the state.
In an attempt to alleviate the hardship faced by thousands of elderly people, the government has proposed a shake-up to the system including raising the threshold for means-tested financial assistance, and introducing a cap of £75,000 meaning that anyone spending more than this sum on care – people who live in residential care homes for many years for example – will thereafter have their care paid for by the state.
Pressure groups point out however, that while help with funding is urgently needed to prevent thousands more pensioners from slipping into poverty, the proposals do nothing to address mounting concerns over the quality of care. Providing social care accounts for nearly half of councils‘ budgets, and with pressure to cut costs across the board, care provision is bound to be hard hit.
Pressure groups point out however, that while help with funding is urgently needed to prevent thousands more pensioners from slipping into poverty, the proposals do nothing to address mounting concerns over the quality of care. Providing social care accounts for nearly half of councils‘ budgets, and with pressure to cut costs across the board, care provision is bound to be hard hit.
A recent report into standards of care found staff to be poorly trained and under pressure to reduce the length of home visits, with nearly a quarter of home-care services failing to meet quality and safety standards. Says carer Mike Allan “We’re talking about frail, elderly people who can’t be rushed. It’s physically impossible to get someone out of bed, washed, toiletted, dressed and give them their breakfast in twenty minutes – it’s unrealistic and undignified. I understand the council is under pressure to slash costs and that cuts have to be made somewhere, but something’s got to give. The system needs a complete overhaul. If we don’t do something now to improve care, more and more people will suffer in the future.”.
A recent report into standards of care found staff to be poorly trained and under pressure to reduce the length of home visits, with nearly a quarter of home-care services failing to meet quality and safety standards. Says carer Mike Allan “We’re talking about frail, elderly people who can’t be rushed. It’s physically impossible to get someone out of bed, washed, toiletted, dressed and give them their breakfast in twenty minutes – it’s unrealistic and undignified. I understand the council is under pressure to slash costs and that cuts have to be made somewhere, but something’s got to give. The system needs a complete overhaul. If we don’t do something now to improve care, more and more people will suffer in the future.”.
Glossary
Glossary
accounts for = explains how money is spent
accounts for = explains how money is spent
across the board = at all levels
across the board = at all levels
bound to = certain to
bound to = certain to
burden = a weight to carry, something oppressive
burden = a weight to carry, something oppressive
by myself = alone
by myself = alone
cap = a maximum financial limit
cap = a maximum financial limit
concern = worry, anxiety
concern = worry, anxiety
cope = to succesfully manage a situation
cope = to succesfully manage a situation
council = the local governing and administrative organisation of a town or region
council = the local governing and administrative organisation of a town or region
entitled = permitted, have a right to
entitled = permitted, have a right to
even so = nevertheless, despite this
even so = nevertheless, despite this
face (verb) = confront, encounter
face (verb) = confront, encounter
fit = in good health
fit = in good health
frail = weak, fragile, delicate
frail = weak, fragile, delicate
funded = paid for, financed
funded = paid for, financed
hardship = adversity, privation
hardship = adversity, privation
income = money received
income = money received
means-tested = verification of income to determine eligibility for benefits
means-tested = verification of income to determine eligibility for benefits
mounting = increasing, accumulating
mounting = increasing, accumulating
overhaul = revision, restructuring
overhaul = revision, restructuring
point out = to note, to draw attention to
point out = to note, to draw attention to
poorly = badly
poorly = badly
pressing = urgent
pressing = urgent
rushed = hurried, made to do something quickly
rushed = hurried, made to do something quickly
shake-up = drastic reorganisation
shake-up = drastic reorganisation
slash = cut severely
slash = cut severely
something’s got to give = slang: changes must be made, we can’t go on like this
something’s got to give = slang: changes must be made, we can’t go on like this
threshold = limit
threshold = limit
well off = financially secure, rich
well off = financially secure, rich
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