Care home places continue to fall

The number of residential care places for older people and
people with physical disabilities fell by 13,100 places last year,
new figures reveal.

In the private sector, 9,600 places were lost – compared
with a fall of 7,200 in 2000 – and a further 2,300 were lost
in local authority run residential homes.

However the impact of the loss has been softened by a decline in
demand, thanks to local authorities trying to reduce their number
of placements and the falling numbers of residents with preserved
rights to income support.

Laing & Buisson’s Care of Elderly People Market Survey
2002 suggests that national figures hide wide local differences,
with the number of hotspots suffering from an acute shortage of
places continuing to grow, especially in the more prosperous
areas.

Survey from 020 7833 9123