Statement by IndependentAge on the the Commission for Social Care Inspection Report (2005-2006)

The most disturbing part of the Report is the finding that many councils have responded to the rising costs of care and the increasing number of older people and disabled people needing care, by raising the threshold of qualification for state funded care. This will only make an already bad situation even worse as the the numbers of older people needing care rise over the next 20 years.

IndependentAge is particularly concerned about the effect of this on the 1.5 million older carers in the UK who provide unpaid care to relatives and friends. An unintended effect of community care reforms has been a rapid decline in the provision of low intensity home care support, with a 68% decrease in the last 12 years. Many older carers are now facing a bleak future with stark choices. They must either cope alone with their own health failing; rely on neighbours who may be facing the worries of their own old age; or buy in to private services with the risks associated with using unregulated service providers. Too often older people get to a point where the demands of every day living, combined with their own declining health and their caring responsibilities becomes overwhelming. They and their partners may be forced to make the decision to go into care.  Many older carers may therefore be forced to give up their caring responsibilities as a result of the continuing decline in the availability of low level practical support from social services.

Nikki Hill of IndependentAge said: 'Our research* illustrates that older carers want to stay in their own homes and support the people they love. However, they need help to carry on with the help of basic practical support services. This type of assistance can make a major difference to older people's ability to continue with their caring responsibilities, and have a decent quality of life. We are calling on the Government to prioritise investment in the services that older people say they need, in the forthcoming spending review and for opposition parties to support our call.'

ENDS