Welfare Reform on the Web (September 2001): Care of the Elderly - UK
ADDING LIFE TO YEARS
A.Walker
Community Care, no. 1376, 2001, p. 26-27
Western countries are faced with an ageing population and a fall in the numbers of people of working age. At the same time economic globalisation puts pressure on governments to keep both taxation and social welfare costs low in order to keep their country competitive. In order to contain the future costs of population ageing, the UK and other EU governments have adopted policies aimed at extending activity and improving the quality of life enjoyed by older people.
BRIDGING THE CARE GAP
T. McKevitt and M. Ware
Public Finance, June 22nd-28th 2001, p. 28-30
Richmond Borough Council has awarded a PFI contract for residential care services for older people to Care UK Community Partnerships. The 25-year contract will result in three new homes for 195 residents, each providing a much wider and more adaptable range of services than before.
CARE HOME FEES CRISIS REACHES A CLIMAX
J. Pearce
Community Care, no. 1376, 2001, p. 10-11
Independent care homes across the UK are threatening to evict residents unless local authorities increase the fees they pay for care. The homes are faced with rising costs due to the implementation of the national minimum wage and of national care home standards which will force owners to upgrade their premises. At the same time government wants to promote choice and independence for older people, leading to an increase in domiciliary care, direct payments and sheltered housing. However, no extra state funding for long term care has been made available, so social services argue they cannot afford to pay more.
CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA
J. Mitchell
Managing Community Care, vol. 9, 2001, p. 7-17
Through a literature review, this article aims to identify the needs of those people with dementia who wish to remain at home, and those of their carers. It goes on to model a range of services that can be linked together to meet these needs comprehensively.
FUNDING CARE: THE COSTS AND SAVINGS OF A NEW APPROACH
A. Holden
Caring Times, June 2001, p. 38
Proposes that older people should be encouraged to fund their own long-term care through financial incentives. They would sell property and invest the proceeds to produced an income stream that would help pay for their care. The income stream would be boosted by a tax credit or similar fiscal measure.
GUIDANCE ON PROVIDING NHS FREE NURSING CARE FOR PEOPLE IN NURSING HOMES: DRAFT CIRCULAR
Department of Health
London: 2001
Presents proposals on how free nursing care will be implemented for elderly people in nursing homes in England. Proposes three "bands of weekly nursing care need", costed at £35, £70 or £110, and determined following an assessment of the patient. Health authorities and primary care trusts are to establish teams of nurses to do the assessments, and nominate a registered nurse co-ordinator who will oversee their work and ensure consistency. Implementation will follow the definition of nursing care in the Health and Social Care Act 2001 as "the registered nurse contribution to providing, planning and supervising care in a nursing home setting."
LONG-TERM CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE: LAW AND FINANCIAL PLANNING
M. Richards
Bristol: Jordans, 2001
This is a comprehensive text which provides worked examples, practice points and checklists for legal practitioners working with older people. It is aimed at those dealing with older people who are seeking advice on how to minimise the risk to their home and other family assets which may be threatened by a need to finance their residential care or home support.
THE POLITICS OF LONG-TERM CARE
A. Deeming and J. Keen
Health Care UK, Spring 2001, p. 78-87
This paper looks at long-term care policy as it stands today and how it may change under different government positions. It discusses what a fairer system might look like if government is provided with an opportunity to rethink the financing of long-term care. It also considers an unchanged government position and discusses how the financing system could work efficiently and effectively for individuals.
SCOTLAND TO START FREE CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
N. Timmins
Financial Times, June 29th 2001, p. 4
The Scottish Finance Minister has announced that £100m a year for the next two years has been set aside to fund free personal care for the elderly from April 2002. Details of exactly how the scheme will operate have not yet been worked out.