Showing posts tagged with: care funding

Care costs to be capped for elderly

Pensioners who face selling their homes to pay for long-term care will be offered state protection for the first time under government plans to be outlined next week.

Ministers are expected to put on record their commitment to the principle of   introducing a “cap” on the amount individuals pay for care during their lives to prevent costs reaching “catastrophic” levels.

Carers of young and old 'are struggling to cope'

The pressure of looking after children while caring for elderly relatives is taking its toll on all aspects of family life, a Carers UK survey suggests.

It found that a third of "sandwich carers" had to give up work, while two-thirds said their marriages had been damaged.

The charity is calling for care services and employers to support the 2.4 million families in this situation.

Three-quarters of those surveyed said they had suffered a loss of earnings, and 95% said the pressure of caring had affected their ability to work.

When asked about family finances, 52% said the cost of caring for elderly relatives was having an impact while 50% reported they were struggling with childcare costs.

The responsibilities of caring for young and old can be detrimental to family life too, the survey suggests, with two-thirds of sandwich carers reporting damage to their marriages or personal relationships.

View the original article here.

Disabled people 'could be forgotten' amid social care reform

Adults with disabilities in England are being deprived of basic care and support and are at risk of being forgotten in the wider reform of the social care system, campaigners say.

Much of the focus on care has been centred around the crisis facing the elderly.

But a coalition of charities has warned people with disabilities under the age of 65 are being neglected too.  They said the squeeze on council care meant many were already missing out.

And the groups, including Mencap, Scope, the National Autistic Society, Leonard Cheshire Disability and Sense, warned the situation could deteriorate under the forthcoming reform of the system.

Ministers are soon expected to announce a cap will be placed on the costs people face for care. 

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Merge NHS and social care, says Labour

The NHS and social care budgets in England should be combined to create a super pot to meet the needs of the ageing population, Labour says.

The money - worth £119bn this year - could be used to provide more joined-up care across the hospital, mental health and care sectors, the party believes.

In a speech on Thursday, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham will say the current arrangements are outdated.

He will claim "dangerous" gaps between services put the vulnerable at risk.

The proposal could see councils get much more involved in making decisions about the NHS, while the biggest hospitals may end up expanding into the community, perhaps even running care homes.

To read the full article click here.

App to tackle loneliness wins social care Dragons' Den contest

An app that helps families separated by geography stay in touch with loved-ones at risk of loneliness triumphed in a recent Dragons' Den-style contest to identify innovative solutions to adult social care's funding crises.