yourcarehome.co.uk blog

Elderly Care news round-up for May 01

Terra Firma to buy Four Seasons Health Care for £825m

01 May 2012

BBC News confirms today that the private equity group Terra Firma has agreed a £825m deal for care home group Four Seasons Healthcare.

The debt and equity deal is hoped to provide a firmer footing for the care home group, not the UK's largest since taking over 140 additional care homes from the failed Southern Cross group. 

 

Just how ill do you have to be to qualify for long-term care help?

01 May 2012

The Telegraph reports on the frustration surrounding eligibility for funding for ongoing nursing care for the elderly.

Since October 2007, there have been national guidelines for care trusts to follow to help determine if someone has a "primary health need" and would therefore qualify for continuing care.  However, much of the assessment is still down to judgement and with the significant cuts to health budgets, it has been suggested that local NHS trusts are only helping those with critical needs. 

 

Stroke survivors 'missing out on recovery services'

01 May 2012

The Guardian reports on findings that show stroke survivors are not being properly assessed on their care needs to aid recovery.

The survey carried out by The Stroke Association found that over a third of those surviving a stroke had not been assessed at all on their health or care needs regarding recovery in spite of government strategy stating that people should have assessments at various intervals once they have left hospital.

For the full stories visit yourcarehome latest news 

Changes to home care inspections

In the Guardian today, Philip King of the CQC explained the new programme of inspections due to be rolled out for home care across the UK.  He illustrated the practical difficulties of inspecting home care, including the fact that the carer may well be providing care of a higher standard than normal if they have an inspector watching their every move.  Equally, the presence of an inspector can be upsetting to the elderly or vulnerable.

In the new programme, the CQC will contact the elderly and their families through questionnaires, phone calls and interviews.  There will be 250 spot checks on the carers and their managers which will have been prearranged with the person receiving the care. The CQC will look at care plans, training records etc and will consult with local care groups about care in the region, before publishing reports on the home care agency as well as a national summary of its findings across the UK.

The CQC certainly need to be seen to do something.  Recent events both in home care and care homes have illustrated some real shortcomings and with the recent resignation of head of CQC Cynthia Bower, all eyes are on what the CQC intends to do to improve its performance.  Any improvements to inspections are positive, but the question remains, is it enough?

Sharing homes - could it work?

The Guardian this week looked at a Homeshare project, where students or young people are placed in houseshares with the elderly.  The student will agree to live there and look after the elderly owner (a certain number of hours each week) in return for significantly lower rent.  Housing sorted for the student, care sorted for the owner.  

This is an interesting concept, but as with all live-in care situations, would have to be very carefully regulated to avoid abuse of the system or of the individuals involved.  Whilst the positives are clear (financial and social benefits for both parties), and advice is given about making clear rules from the start (how much care should take place, what form that will take etc), I can see no mention on the Homeshare website about CRB checks or any other checks which take place to minimise potential threat of abuse.  I am in two minds.  Whilst the case studies (across the world) illustrate how the scheme can work, I am left wondering if there are any stories illustrating how the scheme can go wrong...

Considering a Retirement Village?

If you are looking for alternative care options, it is vital that you consider all the options.  If you are concerned about losing equity in your property, you may like to look at retirement villages.  Retirement Villages, also known as retirement communities or care villages are relatively new to the UK but are growing quickly, offering a variety of housing types, an extended range of facilities for older people, and attractive settings.

Read all you need to know about Retirement villages

At a Southern Cross care home? Find out whose taking over...

This week, The Guardian are hosting a unique set of data on the future of each Southern Cross care home compiled and updated by Adass (the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services).  The data allows you to find your relevant care home and then provides contact details for the care home and the relevant local authority and NHS Primary Care Trust as well as contacts at Southern Cross itself.  Vitally, the data also reveals the landlord for each home and the new proposed operator, as well as the intended date for transfer to that operator.

Visit the yourcarehome news for more information and a link to the data.

Mum's in a Southern Cross home - Should we worry?

The future of the care home operator Southern Cross is likely to be decided this week.  Landlords of the care homes are meeting today to decide the direction which they want to go - they will then attend a government-chaired meeting on Wednesday with the bosses of Southern Cross to negotiate a final agreement.

There will be one of two likely outcomes - either the landlords (who include private companies and other care home groups) will take control of the whole company and will continue to run the care homes, but under a new name and with new management, or they will reclaim 250 or so homes which they own, and will incorporate them back into their own companies (or tender them out to other care home groups), and leave the remaining 500 homes to be run by Southern Cross.

Either way, there have been assurances issued by the head of Southern Cross who has said that "residents should not fear widespread programme of home closures" .

It was also reported in April that councils were drawing up emergency plans to give advice to local authorities on how to move residents and how to find alternative care homes in the event of sudden closures.

If you have a relative in a care home currently run by Southern Cross, and you are worried about the home closing, what are your rights?

Firstly, the local authority is obliged to find another place for residents who are forced to move, and whose place is publicly funded.  The BBC has reported that "it is understood that there are enough places in total to cover the mass movement required if a company the size of Southern Cross was forced to fold".

The local authority must find somewhere that provides a service that matches people's care needs. Each local authority sets an amount which they would normally pay which relates to the level of need they have. If other care homes charge more, and the resident chooses to live there, then relatives can top up the cost.

Alternatively, families can challenge the maximum cost rate set by the council if there are no homes in the area that are cheap enough and provide the care required.

If people are self-funding their care home place, then they are still entitled to the needs assessment from the local authority. This will help them judge which care home they can move into. They are entitled to information and support to find an alternative.

If they have no relatives to help, and are too unwell to make the decision themselves, then the local authority is obliged to help them.

(information from The BBC)

Age UK has also made a statement for all those concerned about relatives in Southern Cross care homes.. view the Age UK statement here.

 

Is this the end of independent care homes?

Last year, the CQC (Care Quality Commission) abolished yearly inspections.  This week, they have announced a new scheme in which homes will be assessed on staff training, staff turnover, daily activities and the general quality of care on offer.  Well, great - anyone who has looked for a care home knows that this additional information will be vital in helping to make a choice of one care home over another. 

However, it appears that each care home has to pay to be part of the scheme - a cost which some suggest could be beyond the already stretched budgets of small independent care homes.  Further, if a care home doesn't register, ministers have warned that the care home would lose any local council funding - a move which could easily mean bankruptcy for struggling care homes.

Whilst any move designed to improve standards in care homes and choice for potential residents is to be applauded, there could be a very real threat to small, independently run care homes who are already struggling to make ends meet, due to recent cuts.  There are over 2000 independent care providers in the UK - if many are forced to close, all we are left with are the big groups and the concept of "providing consumer choice" becomes laughable.

CQC abandons star rating system

At the Care Live UK trade show in Brighton yesterday, all discussion was on the statement released that morning by the Care Quality Commission who regulate all care homes.  They have decided to no longer rate the care homes after an inspection.  

Currently, care homes are awarded from 3 stars (excellent) down to no stars (poor).  These ratings will still be visible, but will not be updated and therefore homes which make improvement may have no way of moving away from their historical poor rating.  Equally homes rated excellent will still show their historical rating, but may have let things slip since.

It appears that the QCQ will have two new standards for care homes - registered (which every care home must do) and "good" - the parameters of which are not clear.

The CQC have said that homes may end up being rated by a new system, but it will not be the CQC that controls it.  

Our interview on BBC Radio 4 with Eddie Mair

Yourcarehome was asked to appear on IPM with Eddie Mair on BBC Radio 4 this week, to comment on the realities of finding a care home and on attitudes towards care homes.  Hear our interview here!

yourcarehome interviewed on BBC Radio about the CQC report

Today, the Care Quality Commission released a report about the quality of councils' adult social care in the UK.  

yourcarehome.co.uk were interviewed this morning on BBC Radio Wiltshire about care homes, the state of the industry and finding a care home for yourself or a relative.

We will post a copy of this interview as soon as it is available.