The crisis facing the care home sector will have the knock-on effect of forcing RSLs that provide supported housing to subsidise residential care, the development director of a major association said this week.
Government figures revealed a 4.6 per cent drop in the number of general nursing homes in England in March last year.

Figures from the Department of Health also showed a 4.4 per cent drop in the number of registered beds in general nursing homes.

On current trends, the number of people needing long-term care will exceed the number of available care home places in April 2006. Demand already exceeds supply in Birmingham, London and the south east.

Eddie Proctor, director of innovation and development at Anchor Trust, warned that the lack of capacity in residential care homes could have a knock-on effect.

This would hit other areas of social care, such as the Supporting People budget and sheltered housing schemes.

“The funding crisis is exacerbated by the scarcity of private providers in this field, which means the voluntary sector is steadily going under because it cannot afford to subsidise residential care,” he explained.

“We must ensure that the issue of capacity is addressed in all areas of care if we are to meet the individual needs of an ageing population.”

One authority already affected is Lancashire, which proposed to close 35 of its 47 residential care homes last month. The council said the move was necessary to meet the government’s new national care standards (Housing Today, 28 February).

But the county council is to review its plans following pressure from public sector union Unison.

Peter Binns, Unison’s north west regional retired members’ secretary, said: “Social services want to get people covered by care in their own homes.

“But most people who are already in residential care homes have been forced to sell their homes to pay for the care. These people simply have nowhere else to go.”

Source

Housing Today