Age UK Launches 'Care in Crisis' campaign

Thursday, 19 January 2012

Age UK is urging all those who care about the future for older people’s care to back its Care in Crisis campaign, demanding urgent reform of the social care system – the system that provides domestic help for older people who need help with day to day tasks and residential care for those who are no longer able to live alone.

The charity has launched a Care in Crisis petition calling on the Government to reform the care system for older and disabled people so that everyone gets the care they need to live with respect and dignity.  The petition calls on the Government to take urgent action to ensure that:

• Everyone who needs care receives it and is treated with the respect they deserve
   
• No-one is forced to sell their home or sacrifice all their savings to pay for the care they need
   
• People are able to plan and prepare for care in advance

Age UK is asking all those who care about the future of the social care system to sign up to the charity’s petition to get their voices heard.  The charity aims to collect 100,000 signatures by 1st March 2012 and will deliver them to the Government ahead of the planned White Paper on the future of long term care.

Successive governments have talked about reforming care but the issue has been repeatedly shelved. With the recent budget cuts and a growing older population the care system is confusing, unfair and unsustainable.

Recent cuts to care and support services have also created huge pressures in the care system. Currently 800,000 people who need help with day to day basic tasks such as getting up in the mornings and washing are left without any formal support. That figure is set to rise with a growing ageing population, leaving more older people struggling to cope day to day.  Hard working care professionals are often left to pick up the pieces and deliver services to inadequate budgets.

Many people believe wrongly that the current care system is free to those who use it. This is not the case and currently those with more than £23,250 in savings have to pay the full cost of care provided in their home –  if they have to move into a care home, then the value of their house is included in working out their savings. For many, this can mean losing a lifetime’s savings to pay for the care they need.

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK said: “Reform of the care system is one of the most pressing issues facing older people today as those working within it will know only too well.

“The passion and commitment of those working in the caring professions is all too often undermined by a system that is unfair, inadequate and confusing. The care system is on the verge of collapse and we need the Government to act urgently to reform the system to have a fair and sustainable future.

“Too many people rely on the care system on a daily basis for it to be kicked into the long grass and sidelined as too ‘difficult’ or ‘costly’ to fix. 

“Our window of opportunity to influence Government is now, so we urgently need your support to ensure that the Government listens to the concerns of older people and their families and  the professionals directly working in the midst of this care crisis.

“Please sign our petition and help us to reach our target to secure good care for older people now and in the future.”

To sign up to Age UK’s Care in Crisis petition calling for urgent care reform, please either visit www.ageuk.org.uk/careincrisis go to your local Age UK office or Age UK charity shop.

Ahead of the planned launch of the Government’s White Paper on the future of long term care, Age UK will present the Care in Crisis petition to the Government.  A mass lobby of Parliament will also be held on 6 March at Westminster, London to demonstrate public support for care reform.