Funding for older people’s services announced

Health secretary John Reid today announced an additional
£100 million of funding to support older people’s social
services, writes Clare Jerrom.

John Reid

The funding will be added to the social services funding for
adults for 2005-6 and will increase the Access and Systems and
Capacity Grant to £642 million from £542 million.

The money will be used to improve existing social services to help
people live in their own homes and provide services such as day
care, direct payments, respite care, home care and equipment to
support every day living.

The number of older people aged over 65 being helped to live
independently has increased by four per cent between 1999 and March
2003.

Between September 2001 and June 2004, the total number of people
delayed in hospital was reduced from 7, 065 to 2,619