Care Franchise: Government Funding Issues

Over half of the UK’s over 45’s still think the state will pick up their care bill when they are old.

Bluebird Care the UK’s fastest growing home care services franchise company released a YouGov poll looking into the nation’s views on paying for their care needs when they are older, and most importantly who is going to pick up the bill.

A staggering 53% of over 45’s still retain the belief that the state is going to pay for their care costs when they are older, this compares in sharp contrast to only 13% of under 25’s.  It seems the over 45’s still believe that being a lifetime tax payer entitles you to be looked after by the state when you are old, whereas the younger generation have switched on to the fact that like many other things they themselves will be footing the bill.

The care industry watchdog, The Care Quality Commission (CQC) revealed only last week that the numbers of older people being denied council funded care has risen by over 80,000 in the last 12 months, which only goes to show that there is a financial ticking time bomb for funding care.

Bluebird Care’s research also revealed that whilst 71% of over 45’s said they are indeed worried about coping financially when they retire, only a mere 30% of the same age group have made any kind of financial provision to look after themselves when they are older.

The picture is even more bleak when you look at the under 34’s, with 77% of them saying that they have made no plan and don’t intend to make any financial provision to look after themselves when they are old.

Results also revealed that:

• A massive, 71% of over 55’s are counting on their state pension to fund their retirement, as opposed to only 21% of under 25’s
• 62% of over 55’s stated that they are relying on their private or employer pension to provide for them when they are old, with only 20% of under 25’s 
• 63% of over 45’s believe their property will help fund their lifestyle when they reach old age, this compares to 33% of 35-44’s and only 24% of under 25’s

When it came to respondents speculating how much care will cost them in later life, almost half (49%) of people questioned thought a residential care home will set them back less than £500 a week.  The actual national average for paying for a residential care home is in fact a whopping £808 a week in London and the South (£42,016 a year) and £575 a week (£29,900 a year) in the North, so this clearly demonstrates a major shortfall in what people think they will need to shell out for in later life (source: Laing Buisson, 2010).                                                                                                    

It is no surprise to report that over 70% of people questioned would prefer to stay at home for as long as possible supported by a professional care at home provider, as opposed to 7% who said they would prefer to receive care in a residential care or nursing home.

Paul Tarsey, Managing Director of Bluebird Care said: “It is worrying to see that the UK’s over 45’s are massively out of touch with the reality of how care in the UK is funded.  Bluebird Care today calls on the Government to make this issue clear as it really is a ticking time bomb.

“When the NHS started in 1948 the principle was “from cradle to grave” but the pressures on the public purse over the last few years have seen this ideal substantially revised.  Whilst The NHS has seen huge changes, Local Authorities now have budgetary constraints which mean that much of the population will now have to fund their own social care as they get older”.

Bluebird Care is constantly striving to make people realise that professional care at home is a realistic and cost effective alternative to going into a care home.  Bluebird Care as a network across the UK and Ireland is currently providing over 4,000 visits per day, totalling 1.5 million visits per year by over 1,500 care worker staff.  This equates to over £24 million worth of care per year.

Case Study

Mr Robert Vardy, 97, has lived in his cottage in Hampshire for the last 21 years and has lived on his own for the last three years since his wife passed away.

Mr Vardy was in the Royal Navy from 1937 to 1946 and served in a number of ships including HMS Saltash and HMS Belfast.  During his time in the Saltash, a fleet minesweeper, he was involved in the Dunkirk evacuation.  He also survived the sinking of the MV Pacific Reliance on March 4, 1940, when he was serving onboard as a naval signalman.

Mr Vardy has two children, a Son called Neil (62) who lives in Poole in Dorset and a Daughter Cheryl (64) who lives in West Somerset.  He also has five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Mr Vardy’s Care Plan

Bluebird Care has looked after Mr Vardy for the last four and a half years. His daily care plan consists of four visits a day with an extra visit on Mondays for domestic chores and cleaning. His Bluebird Carer Soha Dali provides the following assistance to Mr Vardy:

• Morning visit – to assist with washing, getting dressed and breakfast
• Lunch visit – to make his lunch
• Tea Time visit – to make his supper
• Evening visit – to get him ready for bed