The number of older people needing care will outstrip the number of family members able to provide it for the first time in just three years, according to forecasts.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank published a study on 24 April that suggested that, for the first time, the number of people needing social care would outstrip the number of adult children able to provide it in 2017.
The report also said that the number of people aged 65 and over without children to care for them would almost double before the end of the next decade and that by 2030, there would be more than two million people inEnglandwithout a child to care for them if needed.
It also highlights the high cost of care, with ten hours of home care and five meals on wheels a week typically costing £7,900 a year and a nursing home costing an average of £36,000 a year.
Clare McNeil, IPPR senior research fellow, said: “The supply of unpaid care to older people with support needs by their adult children will not keep pace with future demand. Thousands of people in their 60s and 70s today could be left to cope on their own when they need care in the future, with overstretched services unable to make up the shortfall.”
Palmers can provide expert advice on arranging and funding care, to assist individuals and families in mitigating the costs and can also advise on planning on how to limit the impact of future care fees on your estate.
Lee McClellan, a partner in Palmers’ Elderly Care team, said: “As the IPPR research shows, the cost of someone’s care in a residential or nursing home can add up to tens of thousands of pounds per year, with significant financial implications for them and their family.
“Complicated and confusing rules exist as whether someone must contribute towards the cost of their care and, if so, what income and capital can be taken into account in assessing what they must pay. With substantial sums involved, expert legal advice can help to clarify the position and ensure someone requiring care does not pay more than they have to. For more information, please contact us.”