Age Concern Demands New National Entitlement To Care

The findings are being issued as the Governments consultation on the future of care and support draws to a close. Age Concern is calling for a new national entitlement to care and support that will give people the right to a decent quality of care in later life.
Polling for the charity also shows that eight in ten people think that unless they demand help for themselves or a family member statutory services are turning a blind eye to their needs.
Backing up the survey results are the voices of more than 700 people of all ages who gave Age Concern detailed and damning verbal evidence about crumbling care and support services.
In 47 listening events held across the country as part of the charitys Big Q campaign people told the charity that radical reform is needed to improve the quality of care and to make the system fairer.
Participants made it clear that they expect the Governments Green Paper due next year to go much further than previous shake-ups of care and support services. As one listening event participant put it: This situation has been going on for years will it change this time?
Their views and recommendations have been compiled into a report Q is for Quality and submitted to the Governments consultation which comes to an end tomorrow. The report reveals that peoples top complaints are:
care is expensive and the system penalises those who save
the quality of care varies greatly and is often inadequate
the system is baffling and the right information is not available when its needed
people are often sent home from hospital without any support in place
care staff are poorly trained and/or poorly paid and do not treat people with dignity
state benefits for those needing or providing care are inaccessible
Gordon Lishman Director General of Age Concern said: Our Big Q consultation has demonstrated just how angry and let down people feel about the current care and support system. It needs straightening out starting with a new national entitlement to services. This has to be designed around peoples needs not bureaucratic concerns and this cant be done on the cheap.
Looking into the future society must decide if we want to make a radical move away from the means-tested system of today. Most of the people weve spoken to think this system is grotesquely unfair and would back the idea of paying more through tax or insurance so that support is there when its needed. Politicians face tough choices but must grasp the nettle to deliver a system that treats elderly people with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Mavis Haywood* 71 who contacted Age Concern to share her experience of buying care and support services said: Im privately funded because I have a bit of savings but not a lot... and no its not good value You should get more of a say but it doesnt work that way: you pay for your care but you dont get a say.
Because of budget shortfalls the majority of local authorities have restricted support to people who have the highest needs. This leaves large numbers of people without help when they need it and creates huge uncertainty as to whether these services are reliable.
Howard Richardson* who participated in a listening event said: one day I receive services next month next week next day I might lose all of my services because of that criteria changing. My condition hasnt changed my lifestyle hasnt changed but for some reason or another I lose services because of some meeting nothing to do with my life.
The on-line version of the Q is for Quality report includes links to videos of politicians and older people talking about care and support reform at the charitys listening events. To get a free copy of the campaign report Q for Quality please visit our website www.ageconcern.org.uk/care or call our information line on freephone 0800 00 99 66.
The views in the report are support by the charity and are underpinned by its five building blocks for the foundation of a new quality care system:
Respecting peoples Dignity
Enabling people to maintain their Independence
Ensuring Fairness for all who need care
Giving Clarity about getting the support you need
Increasing the amount of Money available to provide quality care