Care UK welcomes Dilnot commission report

Company news

Jul 06, 2011

Libby Eastley from Care UK said: “Andrew Dilnot’s commission has produced a far more workable solution than some of the other ideas floated in recent years.  However, this report is the beginning of the journey to set out a transparent and equitable social care funding proposal, not the end. Legislation needs to follow on swiftly. This country simply can’t afford to repeat what happened in 1999 when the Sutherland Royal Commission produced a report on funding for social care which was rejected but nothing was implemented as an alternative.”

Libby Eastley continued: “We welcome the fact that the report highlights the need to improve the provision of clear advice about care funding and to join up health, housing and social care funding. We care for over 15,000 people in their homes and we see firsthand the anxiety caused by the fear of uncapped costs, how little information is readily available and how confusing the access to care, funding forms and eligibility criteria can be for someone who is in poor health or frail. Many give up and dip into savings to pay for essential care or miss out on much needed assistance.”

Care UK also cares for people with mental health issues. The range of different funding streams that currently have to be stitched together to provide a holistic care package work as a barrier against enabling people to live independently in their own home. Dr Alison Rose-Quirie, Managing Director for Mental Health at Care UK, said: “Let’s hope that the findings of the Dilnot commission lead to funding procedures that are simplified to encourage alternatives to residential care for people of pre-retirement age with mental health issues to avoid retaining them in, often unnecessarily, restrictive care settings.”