planning for later life INDEX
ELDERLY CARE DEMAND TO “OUTSTRIP” FAMILY SUPPLY
T
he number of older people in England needing care will “outstrip” the number of family members able to provide it by
2017. A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) estimates that by 2030 there will be more than two million people aged 65 and over with no child living nearby to give care if needed.
The IPPR said the country must “build new community institutions” to cope, while the government responded by saying it was working to make sure more people got care at home.
The IPPR report estimates that, of the two million people it says will have no child living nearby to care for them in England in 2030, 230,000 will need more than 20 hours of care per week. To fi ll the care “gap” the IPPR report suggested that the UK should:
• Widen the use of “neighbourhood networks”, highlighting those run by older people and offering activities to reduce social isolation as well as providing care and support.
• Invest in strengthening community groups in areas with the “weakest record for community-based care”. • Follow international examples, highlighting initiatives in Germany, Australia and Japan’s 10-year nationwide campaign “to train one million dementia supporters”. • House public services for different age groups, such as childcare and care for the elderly, together in the same buildings as is done in Germany. • Strengthen employment rights for carers.
The report also highlighted the number of older people providing care, and estimated that the amount of “intensive”
care provided by spouses and partners will rise by 90% over the next 15 years. The average annual cost for those who pay for care is currently £25,000 for home care and £36,000 for a nursing home. The government said it was working to integrate health and council care services to ensure more older people received care at home. Helena Herklots, Chief Executive of
Carers UK, said it was “absolutely critical” that the government took action to fi ll the “policy void” around elderly care, adding: “Our families, society and economy need reliable, affordable, quality care and support services and solid support and rights for those caring to ensure such breakdowns are prevented. Support for working parents has transformed in the last decade; the same shift in attitude must now be adopted to dealing with the care of older, seriously ill and disabled loved ones.”
If you look after someone, you matter too
National Carers Week 2014 takes place from 9th to 15th June and is an annual awareness campaign celebrating and recognising the contribution made by the UK’s 6.5 million carers who look after an ill, frail or disabled family member or friend. Carers Week is a UK-wide annual
awareness campaign, which aims to improve the lives of carers and the people they care for. It does this by raising awareness of carers at a national, regional and local level. Hundreds of organisations and individuals join in each year to make it
146
one of the UK’s most successful awareness campaigns.
Many people fi rst come into contact with social care during a health crisis such as a hospital admission, when they and their families are often distressed. Every year, Carers Week is a chance to highlight the amazing contribution carers make to our society, whether they are caring for a sibling, parent, partner, child, friend or elderly relative. • For more information, visit the website
www.carersweek.org
DIARY DATE
On 20th June, thousands of care homes across the UK – and here in Kent – will be opening their doors to welcome the public, connect residents with their local communities, and change perceptions of care homes for good. • For more information, whether you work in a care home and want to register or you want to visit a local home on the day, visit www.
nationalcarehomeopenday.org.uk
www.indexmagazine.co.uk getting married? –
www.planningyourwedding.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156