Overview - Social care for older and disabled people Gordon Deuchars Age UK London 12 June 2012.

Overview - Social care for older and disabled people

Gordon DeucharsAge UK London

12 June 2012

Care in the Past

• Before the National Health Service: Voluntary and Family Care, “Poor Law”• 1948: National Health Service (NHS) is

set up:• Health care from the NHS is free• “Social care” (long term care) from

local Councils is means tested• Social care is different from place to

place

Changes in Care for Older and Disabled People

• 1950s – Care was mostly given in care homes or other institutions.

• Now – most people who get care live at

home.

• 1950s – most care was done by the Council.

• Now – most care is done by businesses or charities. Many people pay for care.

• But Councils still pay for care for many

people.

Making Care Suit the Person

• Disabled people and older people demanded care that gave them what they wanted

• In the end the Government listened!

Independent Living Fund (ILF)

• The ILF started in 1988.• It provides money for direct payments

to disabled people.• People use it to pay for care from an

agency, or to employ a Personal Assistant.

• The ILF was closed for new applicants in 2010. It will end completely in 2015.

Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People – 2005

• A new Government policy • “disabled people in Britain should have

full opportunities and choices to improve their quality of life and will be respected and included as equal members of society”

• The changes included

• Helping disabled people to achieve independent living by moving to individual budgets for disabled people

Independent Living Strategy – 2008

The aims of the strategy are that:

disabled people (including older disabled people) who need support to go about their daily lives will have greater choice and control over how support is provided

disabled people (including older disabled people) will have greater access to housing, education, employment, leisure and transport opportunities and to participation in family and community life.

Self directed support and personalisation

• Self directed support means helping you choose the support you most need.

• You can get a direct payment to buy the support you want.

• You can also have a personal budget without having to handle the money yourself.

• You have a personal support plan.

• Lots of disabled people have personal assistants not carers.

Care in Crisis

• Social Care is very short of money and the Government has cut spending.

• The number of older people is growing. • Councils have cut back on their care provision. • 800,000 older people who need care get no

support from the state. • People are having to pay higher charges for

support. • Services for disabled people are being cut too.

What now?

• The Government wants to make more changes to the care system.

• In 2011 an official committee called the Dilnot

Commission wrote a report on how to improve funding for care.

• The Government say they are thinking about it. But while they think, the problems get worse.

• Older people’s groups and disabled people’s groups are campaigning for a better care system.

What do you think?

And thank you for listening!

Tel. 020 7820 6770E-mail [email protected]