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CARE HOME


ENVIRONMENT www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Editor Matt Seex


mattseex@stepcomms.com


Business Manager Mike Gammon mikegammon@stepcomms.com


Journal Administration Katy Cockle


katycockle@stepcomms.com Design


Steven Dillon


Publisher Geoff King


geoffking@stepcomms.com


Publishing Director Trevor Moon


trevormoon@stepcomms.com


THE CARE HOME ENVIRONMENT is published monthly by Step Communications Ltd, Step House, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3DR, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1892 779999


Facing the future … or not


Matt Seex, Editor mattseex@stepcomms.com


STEP COMMUNICATIONS


Email: info@thecarehomeenvironment.com Web: www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Welcome to the March issue ofThe Care Home Environment. This issue marks my last as editor, as I assume editorial duties on our sister titleHealth Estate Journal. I’ve had a hugely enjoyable four years at the helm ofThe Care Home Environment and would like to extend my sincere thanks to everybody who has written an article for the magazine, and also to the many dedicated and hard-working care home managers and team members I have had the pleasure of meeting along the way. There can be no doubt that the social


ISSN NO. 2398-3280 ©2026 Step Communications


The Publisher is unable to take any responsibility for views expressed by contributors. Editorial views are not necessarily shared by the journal. Readers are expressly advised that while the contents of this publication are believed to be accurate, correct and complete, no reliance should be placed upon its contents as being applicable to any particular circumstances.


This publication is copyright under the Berne Convention and the International Copyright Convention. All rights reserved, apart from any copying under the UK Copyright Act 1956, part 1, section 7. Multiple copies of the contents of the publication without permission is always illegal.


care sector faces profound – even existential – challenges over the coming years. Put simply – the numbers are against us. There were around 11.5m people aged 65 or over in England in 2025; by 2040, this will swell to some 14.5m. This will include over one million people aged over 90 – almost double 2025’s number. Sadly – but inevitably – hundreds of


thousands of these older people will find themselves living with dementia and all the challenges this entails both for them as individuals and those who care for them. As for those carers, Skills for Care says: If the workforce grows proportionally to the


growth of the population aged 65 and above, between 2024/25 and 2040 the adult social care workforce would need to increase by 470,000 posts, or 27 per cent.


Follow our page on Linkedin March 2026 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 5 So where are these care workers of


tomorrow going to come from? Thanks to changes in government policy, international recruitment of care workers halved between 2023/4 and 2024/5, from 105,000 to 50,000. Far from increasing recruitment in anticipation of the challenges ahead, we’re actively taking steps to slash it. This short- sighted, headline-grabbing nonsense will surely come back to haunt us all, as we enter old age and find there is nobody to care for us. Perhaps we’re banking on our children (if we have them) to step up? Maybe robots and AI will answer our prayers? Or are we hoping that the elusive National Care Service will solve all of these problems? For now, as a society that doesn’t really


like to think too much about getting old, we seem content to stick our heads in the sand, apparently content with a two-tier system where those ‘lucky’ enough to reach old age with substantial property wealth will have the privilege of spending their children’s inheritance on luxury care. Meanwhile, those not so fortunate will have to rely on whatever ever-stretched public funds can provide. Challenging times ahead, then, but one


thing is certain – our skilled, hard-working, and compassionate care workforce will meet the task head-on, because, despite being chronically underpaid, undermanned, and undervalued, that’s simply what they do. I hope you enjoy the issue.


THE


James Steidl - stock.adobe.com


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