Glasgow care homes slated over costs

Hundreds of elderly people are being charged thousands of pounds extra for their residential care to subsidise others who are given free places.

Pensioners who have to pay the full fees, because they have assets worth more than £22,000, are being charged over the odds in order to pay for local authority-funded places.

On average, in Glasgow, care homes which charge £566 a week for local authority guests, are setting fees at £785 for private guests.

Currently, care fees can be anything between £300 to £1,000 per week and are expected to continue to rise, making the average cost of nursing care to be around £32,000 per year.

Elaine Struthers, and her cousin Roseann are currently trying to find a care home in Glasgow for their elderly aunt, but they too have discovered huge differences in home fees.

When found that some care homes in Glasgow are charging ‘self-funders’ more than £300 a week on top of the rates paid by the local authority.

As well as charging “unfair” rates, the majority of care homes failed to provide even basic information about prices. Elaine, from Glasgow, said: “I started looking at care homes before I knew if she would be ‘self funding’ or not, so the care homes have had to give me a range of prices, which has revealed that there is such a huge difference in fees depending on your circumstances. I am shocked to discover that care homes in Glasgow can set two different rates for two types of resident the ‘self funders’ and the local authority-funded residents for the same care.”

“One home I looked at charges roughly £400 for those whose care is being funded by the local authority but would charge my aunt £700 for the same care, if she was ‘self funding’. My Aunt would have to pay this inflated rate until her savings drop to £22,000 and then the local authority would pay £400 a week for her care. It appears that the local authority have a cap on what they will pay and care homes can basically charge other residents whatever they want.”

Elaine continued: “It is a disgrace that ‘self funding’ care home residents appear to be subsidising residents placed in care homes who are funded by the local authority. Why should my aunt have to pay £700 a week when the local authority would pay only £400 per week for the same care for a resident. Where does the £300 difference go?”

Rising staff costs, extra holiday and training requirements, as well as heavier regulations, had pushed many homes to the brink of closure and those homes which have increased fees for self-funders have done so in order to survive.

One worker at a Glasgow care home, who did not wish to be named, explained how difficult the situation is.

“We’re at the stage now where funding from local authorities is so low, compared to what the care homes need, that they have to charge self-funders more. These private funders are filling the hole that the local authority won’t pay. I know it is unfair, but if the local authority won’t fund our home properly, then we have to charge higher fees.”

She continued: “Ultimately it is the older people who are caught in the middle and getting a raw deal. People think that care home owners make a huge profit because the fees are so high, but that simply isn’t the case.”

Kay Robinson, whose mother is currently in a care home, on the South Side of the city, and falls under the ‘self funding’ category, says she has had five care cost price increases in the last two years.

She said: “What I want to find out is, if the local authority has had to pay the same price increases for the residents it is funding. I bet they haven’t – it’s simply not fair.”

Other families, who have had similar experiences, considered making a complaint but were reluctant to do anything that might jeopardise their elderly relative’s relationship with care home owners, or force them to leave their current home.

Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon said: “Nursing homes and residential homes are entitled to charge for residential care, the accommodation and “room and board” expenses that a person would have to pay even if they were still living in their own home.

It’s a matter for residents who pay their own fees to negotiate a fair rate with care homes as part of the contract they agree.

“It’s not for government to intervene directly in these matters – but what we can do and what we do very stringently is to enforce the highest standards in care homes, and the vast

majority do provide good quality care.”

A spokesperson for Age Concern and Help The Aged, said: “This is an unfortunate situation which arises from certain cut-offs that local authorities have put in place.

“The current system works in a way that those who cannot pay get support and those who can pay have to do so.

“Of course, we would like to see everyone being charged the same rates, but this is not a problem that solely affects the care home sector, it is just the way that the market is set up. However, we would urge councils to help people who do feel affected by this issue.”

In Scotland, weekly care home fees currently cost an average of £627 – or £32,600 a year – for those who receive nursing care and £445 a week, £23,140 a year, for those who do not.

Under the current system in Scotland, anyone with assets of more than £22,000 has to pay for their care, with an element of personal care being subsidised.