Care places must double to meet OAP “timebomb”, council says

COUNCIL-FUNDED care places for older people will need to double as the number of over-65s rockets by a fifth, councillors agreed. But they said older people must be encouraged to live in their own homes.

The number of council-funded residential and nursing places will need to rise from 754 to 1,717 by 2020, Buckinghamshire County Council members said.

The number of over 65s is expected to rise from 52,900 last year to 66,000 in 2020.

This is because people are living longer, leading to a “rapid” rise in dementia cases, putting pressure on council places, a BCC report says.

The report says: “We are reducing our reliance on residential care and wish to see wider choices for older people that promote their independence and well-being.”

Most county pensioners pay for their own care as their assets and property are valued over £23,000. Council contributions begin below this figure and BCC takes on all costs when savings dip to £14,000.

Last year 1,082 OAPs got council support out of 69,677 in the county.

But Age Concern Buckinghamshire’s Mike Brooks said: “There are a lot of people who are property rich and cash poor.

“They don’t have the money to pay for things but they have a nice house.”

The charity “totally agrees” with helping people the live at home, he said. The BCC report says people who pay for their own care often in fact move too soon into a home.

The news comes as the Government proposes overhauling the entire care system.

Ministers have put forward three options. Either the Governments puts in a quarter to a third of costs or people use a voluntary or a compulsory insurance scheme.

The BCC report says: “The ageing population is a ‘ticking bomb’ that everyone is aware of, but few people seem to be addressing as a matter of urgency.

“The analogy could be made with attitudes to global warming.”

And it warned the recession means people may not be able to sell or get a good price for their home to pay for their care.

The council does not build or provide residential or nursing homes.

But it said it would work to provide better home-care services, use privately developed homes and make “creative use” of sheltered accommodation.

The council’s cabinet also agreed an increase in home places for people with learning, physical and sensory disabilities, mental health issues and people at risk of homelessness.

And it agreed changes that will affect all adults who use council social services.

This will give them more control over how council money is spent on their care.

It is hoped this will save cash. As a result, the adult social care budget will be slashed by five per cent with a contingency fund to meet unmet needs.