Long Term Care Do Britons Know The Real Cost
Black Britons are under-estimating how much care in old age could cost them, according to a new Big Care Debate poll.
As the Government’s consultation on the future funding for long-term care enters its final week, the survey shows they were unaware that some individuals end up paying out £50,000 or even have to sell their home.
42% of Black respondents thought that if they needed intensive care in their old age that it was likely to cost them between £5000 and £10,000.
The figures also reveal that Black Britons are more likely to want to care for their parents in old age. They worry more about how they will cope and about being a burden on their own children in the future.
The Big Care Debate is giving everyone the opportunity to have their say and shape policy on the future of the care and support.
This debate affects everyone. In 20 years time a quarter of the entire adult population in England will be over 65 and the number of people over 85 will have doubled. Half of all men and two in three women will end up needing care, and if someone has more than £23,000 in savings, they will need to meet all the costs themselves.
Under the current system, the average cost of care and support is £30,000, but for someone with dementia it could be as high as £200,000. The Government wants to change this.
Care Services Minister Phil Hope, said:
“We need a fairer system that supports people whether they want to stay in their own homes as they grow old, move in with relatives or move into residential care. For this to happen, Black people, along with everyone else, have to speak up about what is important to them. It only takes a few minutes to join in the Big Care Debate at www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk. This is the last chance before it closes on Friday 13 November.”
The Afiya Trust is working to make sure that people from BME backgrounds get the chance to have their voices heard in this debate. Chief Executive, Patrick Vernon, said:
‘Any process that enables Black Britons to have secure and supported care in older age, such as the Big Care Debate, is to be welcomed. Through our work with BME communities and social care practitioners nationally, it is clear that Black Britons can fall through the service net without access to the relevant information on personalisation budgets, which is why it is essential that they are facilitated to get their voices heard.’
As the Government’s consultation on the future funding for long-term care enters its final week, the survey shows a third of British Asians have concerns compared with a fifth of the wider population.
The survey reveals that England’s Asian population are:
· nearly twice as likely to be comfortable looking after their older parents,
· close to five times more likely to expect to look after their grandchildren while their children work, and
· three times more likely to be up for extreme sports, but they are less enthusiastic about bingo.
The Big Care Debate is giving everyone the opportunity to have their say and shape the future of care and support services.
This debate affects everyone. In 20 years time a quarter of the entire adult population in England will be over 65 and the number of people over 85 will have doubled. Half of all men and two in three women will end up needing care, and if someone has more than £23,000 in savings, they will need to meet all the costs themselves.
Under the current system, the average cost of care and support is £30,000, but for someone with dementia it could be as high as £200,000. The Government wants to change this.
Minister for Care Services Phil Hope, said:
“British Asian families have a strong tradition of caring for their own and keeping older people close to the family. Social care services could do more to support this culture and stop people seeing homes and savings from a lifetime’s hard work be whittled away.
“I believe we can build a better system for the future, a National Care Service that supports all our aspirations. To make this happen I need to know what British Asian people want and to learn about what you do well so the whole country can benefit. This is a real opportunity to secure the future of your family and build a better society, please get involved in the Big Care Debate.”
It only takes a few minutes to join in the Big Care Debate at www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk. This is the last chance before it closes on Friday 13 November.
The Afiya Trust is working to make sure BME people get the chance to have their voices heard in this debate. Chief Executive, Patrick Vernon, said:
“Any process that enables British Asians to be supported in caring for their older relatives, such as the Big Care Debate is to be welcomed. Through our work with BME communities and social care practitioners nationally, it is essential to have access to accurate information about relevant services, housing options and how they need to be financed so they don’t fall through the net.”
The Afiya Trust is inviting comments to its own consultation on the green paper with an online survey at: www.afiyatrust.org.uk.
Phil Hope, Minister for Care Services, will be speaking at the Afiya Trust’s National Black Carers and Carers Workers Network conference on Tuesday 10 November.
Topics: Afiya Trust, Big Care Debate, BME, Governance, government, health care, hope, intensive care, residential care, Vernon
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