‘Which? Elderly Care’ website launches as we find that people struggle to find enough time and can’t find the information they need to arrange care for their elderly relatives.
The ‘sandwich generation’ are those aged 40-60 who look after both their children and their older relatives. Which? research finds that only 40% of this age group feel confident making decisions about arranging care. Around four in ten (44%) with elderly relatives are concerned about taking on this responsibility.
With so many options for people to consider, including home care, care homes, and sheltered housing, this a complex and difficult decision to make. So it’s unsurprising that around a third (36%) said they would struggle to find enough time to arrange care. Half (48%) said they don’t have time to make careful and considered decisions about looking after their elderly relatives.
Finding the right information for their circumstances is also hard – a third of people who had researched elderly care said they wasted time looking at information that wasn’t relevant to them (32%) or spent too long exploring options that turned out to be unsuitable (34%). Three in ten (28%) said it wasn’t easy for them to find the information they needed.
Four in ten (40%) of all those surveyed think there is not enough information available about the process of organising care. One person told us, ‘There was nothing that actually said ‘This is the package of things you may be eligible for from different authorities, from different parts of the community care.’’
Which? Elderly Care is a free-to-use website offering practical information and advice about arranging care for relatives. People can answer a short questionnaire to access information that is relevant to their situation and search by postcode for local services.
The website has information on how to choose the type of care that would best suit your relative, what options are available and different ways to organise finance. It also features real life stories and will direct you to specialist sources of advice, explaining what each source can offer.
Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said:
“It’s worrying but understandable that people lack confidence in arranging care for their elderly relatives, and this can be made worse when you have little previous experience but need to act urgently and under pressure. Which? Elderly Care helps people find the information that’s relevant to their situation, and offers free, practical advice to help them with this difficult decision.”
