Plan to raise Aberdeenshire residential care costs

Older people in Aberdeenshire may have to pay more for their residential care from April. An Aberdeenshire Council committee will be asked to back plans to increase some social work charges when members meet tomorrow.

They include a rise in the cost for older people who pay for their residential care from £672 to £717 a week. The proposed rise was criticised by senior citizens’ leaders, who say people should not have to pay for care that the NHS should provide.

A report for councillors says the revised charges could generate an additional £145,000 for the local authority during 2010/11, but members will be assured that the council will make every effort to ensure residents are charged according to their financial circumstances, and that people receive all the benefits they deserve.

“The level of contribution a client makes towards the cost of their care is based on their ability to pay, determined by an individual financial assessment,” says the report. “As part of this process we will ensure that their income is maximised through the benefits system. In the financial year 2009/10, 47 clients were financially assessed as having income to pay the full charge for residential care. This figure may alter from year to year.”

Grampian Senior Citizens Forum chairman George Thomson said he feared people would be forced to spend their savings or sell their home to pay for care.

He added: “The main aim of my organisation is to keep people in their own homes for as long as possible. Going into care homes is a last resort. However, if they are in a care home as far as we are concerned whatever care they need should be provided through the NHS.

“An old friend who died a couple of years ago had been a soldier and worked all of his life. At 87 he went into a care home and within two years had to sell his house to pay for his care, and that to me is absolutely outrageous. These people should be looked after by the NHS, full stop.”

Councillors on the social work and housing committee will be asked to back the changes when they meet tomorrow.

If approved the new charges will come into effect from April 5.