'Care-free' baby boomers to hit care crisis
Two
thirds of baby boomers have made no plans for their future care needs.
A survey for Help the Aged showed that 62 per cent of 45-65 year olds
have made no plans for their care, with one in five admitting they feel
that ‘life is too short’ to worry about something which may not happen.
The
survey, conducted by GFK NOP (1) on behalf of Help the Aged, highlights
widespread confusion among those approaching retirement age. Almost
half believe that the Government will contribute in some way towards
their care needs, with one in ten 61-65 year olds optimistically believing
the State would pick up the bill for all of their future care costs.
Well over half (55 per cent) believe that should they need a place in
a care home one day, their basic state pension of £84 will cover the
£400 a week average cost.
Issued
in advance of the end of the Government’s consultation on NHS funded
continuing care this Friday (2), the national survey confirms the common
misconceptions around the current care funding system. The Charity is
warning that the public’s care-free attitudes towards their future needs,
combined with the Government’s unfair and complex care system (3), is
resulting in thousands of pensioners not getting the care they desperately
need.
The
division between hopes and reality couldn’t be more varied, with respondents
expecting to rely on a number of sources to meet future care costs.
Half expect to rely on the Government to pay for a place in a care home
and 56 per cent think their personal savings will be enough – despite
two in three not having made any plans for anticipated care costs. One
in five people say they expect to rely on their relative to help pay
their care bills.
Jonathan
Ellis, senior policy manager at Help the Aged, says: 'This research
highlights the worrying extent of confusion among people who are at
an age when they should be planning ahead, or at least thinking about
what future care needs they may have. The Government’s current complex
system has added to this, succeeding only in fuelling widespread uncertainty
about where the state’s responsibility stops and the individual’s begins.
'Needing
care in older age is a fact of life for one in five of us yet this is
likely to rise - by 2017, there will be more people over 40 than below
40, and the proportion of older people with care needs is also likely
to grow. People are deluding themselves if they think that it will never
happen to them.'
Other
findings include:
- Nearly
half (46 per cent) said they would sell their home if they needed
to fund a place in a care home;
- 45
per cent of people are not confident that their future care needs
will be met;
- 65
per cent of people say they would be happy to pay more income tax
if it meant more money was made available to fund older people’s care
needs.
Jonathan
Ellis adds: 'Views held by society that ageing is something that should
be feared are perpetuated even further by a care funding system that
no one can understand. It is apparent that the public have been led
into a false sense of security about what is, and what is not, available
to help them if they have care needs.
'Many
people feel let down by the very system meant to help them. It is understandable
that they should question why they worked hard to save only to have
those savings taken from them if they are unfortunate enough to develop
care needs. If the Government is serious about tackling the care funding
crisis, it needs to invest more in care services, and help people to
plan ahead for future care needs.'
Help
the Aged has combined the research with the following calls on Government:
- An
end to the complex and undignified means-testing system, which forces
many older people to sell their homes to meet care costs;
- An
increase in the upper savings limits. Currently if you have savings
of £21,000 or more (England and NI), including the value of your home,
you are expected to meet the full cost of your care home fees without
any state funding;
- A
doubling of the level of personal expense allowance, from £19.60 per
week, to £40 per week. This is the money that a local council will
leave you with when deciding how much it will take from you to fund
care provided in a care home; and
- For
the NHS to introduce a single, national assessment process to decide
who should receive fully funded NHS care.
Help
the Aged has published a more detailed press briefing for journalists
called 'Attitudes to paying for care and care homes in older age', including
commentary and key facts. Download
the press briefing, or request a copy
by calling the Help the Aged press office on 020 7483 1561.
By
Help the Aged Date
25-09-2006
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