Systemic failure in the care home sector is leaving the majority of people with limited choice and half of people needing care having to wait for a bed, according to new research by Which?
The consumer champion Which? found that almost half of people (48%) who had arranged care for themselves or a loved one said there weren’t any places in at least one of the local care homes they considered.
The survey asked 764 people who had arranged care for themselves or a loved one in the past 12 months to share their experiences of the care sector and highlights a worrying trend of people not being able to find suitable local care provision.
The research found that a lack of good local places means many people are staying in, or moving loved ones into, care homes they aren’t satisfied with, with almost one in five people (17%) saying they settled for a care home they had reservations about. A similar number (16%) ended up opting for a home away from friends and family.
When they did find a bed, as many as a quarter (25%) of care arrangers said they were left feeling guilty or annoyed that they couldn’t find a more suitable care home.
Fred Horley, 86, from Devon, struggled to find good care for his wife Joan, 83, who has since passed away. He says her poor experience of care has left him worried about his future.
“Joan’s experience was far from satisfactory. At times, my wife was left up to an hour after activating an emergency alarm before any help came. One time she laid on the floor, in the dark, shouting for help.
“My wife’s experience has opened my eyes to what could happen to me when I’m in care. But good quality care homes where I live are difficult to come by, expensive and have few vacancies.”
Which? has launched a ‘Care Needs Care Now’ campaign calling for the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) inquiry into the care home market to go beyond the immediate issues around quality, fees and complaints and to confront the creaking care sector now, recognising that the national picture masks huge differences in the number of care home places available at a local level.
The CMA’s inquiry into the care home market must make strong recommendations that the Government addresses this systemic issue of inadequate provision in its upcoming Green Paper.
Alex Hayman, Which? Managing Director of Public Markets, said:
“Making the decision to move a loved one into a care home is difficult enough, so it is unacceptable that so many families are left feeling guilty or concerned about the choices they have made, simply because there is no choice.
“The Competition and Markets Authority must look at the huge local disparities in care home provision, which are fast reaching crisis point.”
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Author: Tim Davies LLB
