Age UK responds to Peter Kyle MP's call on care homes
Responding to Peter Kyle MP's article on care homes, Caroline Abrahams, Age UKs Charity Director saying, a care home of reasonable quality should be available to all who need it.
We have recently heard some care home managers say that they intend to move towards accommodating only those older people who can afford to pay their own fees and will stop taking publically funded clients. They say this is the only way they can see of sustaining their care businesses, against a context of rising costs and of public investment failing to keep pace. This makes us worry that it could become increasingly difficult for councils to purchase good quality, affordable care for older people on low and modest incomes.
For some highly vulnerable older people a good care home is the best place for them to be. So any suggestion that the care market may not be able to accommodate such a person, unless they are lucky enough to have considerable assets of their own, is a big concern. We feel strongly that the opportunity to live in a care home of reasonable quality should be available to all who need it and not be dependent on your ability to pay.
