Older people not given fair deal by councils

Older people who pay for their own residential care are not
getting a fair deal, according to a new study.

It finds that older people who pay for a care home place in
England and Wales are unlikely to receive fair treatment from their
local authority.

The report, ‘Asset stripping: local authorities and older
homeowners paying for a care home place’, shows that many older
people with assets in excess of £18,500, beyond which they are
not entitled to a local authority funded care home place, do not
receive a needs assessment from their local authority to determine
whether residential or some other form of supported care is the
best option for them.

Many local authorities actively employ strategies to discourage
older people with assets over the upper capital limit from pursuing
a needs assessment. Many older people and their relatives were not
aware a needs assessment could be provided, and missed out on
advice about alternatives to residential care such as support
services at home or moving into sheltered housing.

Report available from 01235 465500