Press Release

New report finds older people get a poor deal when finding a care home

17 October 2007

Older people paying as much as £30,000 a year for a room in a care home often do not know exactly what they will be paying for, according to a new report published today by the Commission for Social Care Inspection.

Whilst care homes are improving the information they give to prospective residents, advertised fees for places in the same care home can vary hugely, sometimes from £650 to £1,500 a week, without a clear explanation of why some people pay more than others and what their money will buy. 

The report also showed that sometimes people paying for their own care can subsidise those people paid for by the local council, where councils negotiate lower rates. In areas without enough care services to meet demand, even those people moving into care homes who are funded by the council can be asked to pay ‘top-up’ fees to cover higher charges - as many as 75% of homes in some areas required a ‘top-up’. 

Launching a new report looking at people’s experiences of finding a care home - “A fair contract with older people?” - CSCI Chair Dame Denise Platt said:

“The evidence from our inspections and research with over 1,700 older people and their carers shows that many do not receive a fair deal.

“Some people looking for a care home place are left confused about what they will be asked to pay, and what they will get for their money. 

“Our research indicates that, by contrast with those supported by the council, people paying for their own care home place are particularly disadvantaged by a lack of information, support and advice at every stage.  Such people also may have no chance to discuss other care options as they do not always have a proper assessment of their needs; half of those responding to our survey said they had had no care assessment.

“Everyone is entitled to a proper needs assessment carried out by their local council.  Local councils should use this assessment to give everyone, not just those who qualify for publicly-funded care, high quality information and guidance about how to choose the best care service for them and get good value for money.”

Dame Denise continued: “As we pointed out in our State of Social Care report in January, we are seeing a shift in responsibility for finding and paying for social care from the State to individuals and their families. We therefore welcome the Government’s recent announcement of a Green Paper on these critical issues - this report once again highlights the need for a new settlement between the State and individuals.”

CSCI Chief Inspector Paul Snell said:
“It is vital that older people and their relatives and friends have high quality advice and guidance to help them choose the best solutions for them.

“In some cases, people may not need to go into a care home at all.  Councils need to commission a broad range of services to meet individual needs and preferences.

“If they do have to move into a care home, they need to choose the best home for their needs at a fair price, following a proper assessment by the local council. One in three people in the 10 councils studied had to make these life-changing decisions when still in hospital, at a time when they were recovering from a major operation or other medical treatment.

“Moving home, for anyone of any age, is a significant experience; it can be particularly stressful for older people having to move out of the family home into a care home. We also need to minimise the need for people to move from one care home to another as much as possible.”