'No clarity' over care home fees

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Older people charged as much as £30,000 a year for a care home place are often in the dark about exactly what they are paying for, a report finds.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) found huge variation in advertised fees for places in the same care home in England.

In some cases this can range from £650 to £1,500 a week, without a clear explanation of why.

Ministers are to draw up a Green Paper on social care.

Many do not receive a fair deal Dame Denise PlattCommission for Social Care Inspection

The CSCI report, which examined the experiences of over 1,700 older people, found some people paying for their own care were also subsidising others paid for by the local council.

In some areas even patients funded by the council were asked to pay top-up fees.

Dame Denise Platt, CSCI chair, said: "The evidence from our inspections and research shows that many do not receive a fair deal.

"Some people looking for a care home place are left confused about what they will be asked to pay, and what they will get for their money."

Lack of information

Dame Denise said people paying for their own care home place were particularly disadvantaged by lack of information, support and advice at every stage.

There is no excuse for older people and carers who find their own care to be denied proper assessments or information about fair charges Ivan LewisHealth and Social Care Minister

She said such people may have no chance to discuss other care options - half of those who responded to the survey said they had had no care assessment.

But Dame Denise stressed that everyone was entitled to a proper needs assessment carried out by their local council.

She warned that there had been a shift in responsibility for finding and paying for social care from the state to individuals and their families.

Paul Snell, CSCI chief inspector, said: "It is vital that older people and their relatives and friends have high quality advice and guidance to help them choose the best solutions for them.

"In some cases, people may not need to go into a care home at all. Councils need to commission a broad range of services to meet individual needs and preferences."

Mr Snell said one in three people in the 10 councils studied had to make decisions about their best option when still in hospital, at a time when some were recovering from a major medical intervention.

No excuse

Paul Cann, of the charity Help the Aged said: "What should shock us all into action is the fact that so many older people and their families find it so difficult to get simple information about what their money will pay for.

"Government must do more to help guide older people through this difficult process."

Neil Hunt, of the Alzheimer's Society, said nearly two thirds of people in care homes have dementia.

He said: "Many are among the most vulnerable people in society and need the highest levels of care and support.

"It is disgraceful that 50% of self-funders never even receive a care assessment."

Health and Social Care Minister Ivan Lewis said government guidance clearly stated that older people should receive an assessment of their needs, and clear information about fee structures.

He said: "There is no excuse for older people and carers who find their own care to be denied proper assessments or information about fair charges and the service they can expect in return."

He said ways to improve support for self-funders were under discussion, and many issues raised by the report would be dealt with in the upcoming Green Paper.