Dr Ros Altmann of Saga comments on the Queen’s Speech that promised a bill for adult social care,
“I sincerely hope that the needs of our ageing population take a higher priority
for this government. After procrastination by successive governments, a white
paper on the issue of social care reform was expected last Christmas and has
still not appeared, amid fears that some changes - such as who pays for care - could even be delayed until 2015 or beyond.
We currently have the worst of all worlds with the numbers of people needing
care growing rapidly, the quality of frail elderly people's lives falling due
to lack of funding and ballooning costs to the NHS. A partnership approach,
where people understand what state support they will get and are encouraged to
save for social care costs, will improve quality of life and help reduce more
expensive NHS care and medical needs for the ageing population. It is not much
use promising personal budgets and more choice if the money available is being
rationed and reduced. We must make clear what people need to pay for themselves
or their loved ones care needs and ensure that the system is fair. Currently
nobody is saving for care and they have no idea how the system works because we
have a hotchpotch arrangement that revolves around local authorities, rather
than around people’s needs.”
Saga has been urging government to take its head out of the
sand and ensure that long-term care is given the priority it deserves.
Long term care news: 16 May 2012
