Care in crisis: people can’t be expected to make plans for care in later life

Only one in 10 adults (12 per cent) aged 55 or over say they have put aside money to pay for any care needs as they get older, according to new research by Which?.

In a report that examines real consumer behaviour in the social care sector, the consumer champion found more than half (55 per cent) of them say they are prioritising other things they want or need to do now over planning for care.

Only a third (34 per cent) had discussed their preferences for care in later life with a friend or relative, while a fifth (19 per cent) said they did not even know where to look for information about care.

People aged 55 and over were divided about whether they will get good quality care through the social care system. Three in 10 (30 per cent) said they expected they would, while around a third (36 per cent) said they thought it was unlikely.

As the Government prepares its forthcoming green paper on social care, Which?’s report: Beyond Social Care: Keeping Later Life Positive, signals that any policy proposals that put the burden of planning for care on ordinary people may be doomed to fail.

A survey carried out as part of the research found that when asked what would be their first port of call when looking into care options for themselves or a relative, Google was the most popular option among all adults – ahead of speaking to the local GP or friends and family.

One in four people (23 per cent) said they would turn to the search engine first when looking for information about social care for themselves or an older relative.

Just one in seven (15 per cent) said they would turn to their GP first, one in 10 (9 per cent) said they would speak to a family member or friend, while less than one in 10 would contact their local authority (eight per cent), the Care Quality Commission (eight per cent) or a social worker (six per cent) first.

Overall, the top sources of information people said they would use to explore social care options were Google (46 per cent), the GP (45 per cent), a local authority website (45 per cent, family and friends (41 per cent) and social care providers (39 per cent).

The GP is still the most trusted source of advice on care and support for older people, along with friends and family – despite local authorities being responsible for providing consumers with advice on social care.

Both the GP and friends and family were trusted to provide good advice by four in five people (81 per cent). This was followed closely by a relevant charity in the sector (78 per cent). Six in 10 (60 per cent) said they trusted local authority social services staff.

When asked to think about what changes they may make if their health and mobility did deteriorate, nine in 10 (92 per cent) people aged 55 and over said they would be willing to make adaptations to their homes to aid mobility and a similar percentage (89 per cent) said they would be willing to use mobility aids outside the home. More than eight in 10 (85 per cent) said they would be willing to use a gardener, cleaner or handyperson.

Which? is calling on the Government to use its forthcoming social care green paper to take these insights on real consumer behaviour into account and create a social care system that works for the people that will come to require support in later life.

The system must recognise that people are unlikely to plan for their care and should be designed to act quickly and effectively at times of crisis – when many people interact with the care system for the first time.

It should also encourage people to think about small but significant lifestyle steps they can take to continue living independently and enjoyably at home for as long as possible.

The Government should also ensure people can get high-quality, tailored advice about their care options and have access to information from sources they trust.

Alex Hayman, Which? Managing Director of Public Markets, said:

“The broken social care system can not continue to fail older people and their families in delivering high-quality, affordable care when they most need support.

“The Government must recognise that most people won’t have made extensive plans for their care, so the system must be designed to help people get the support they need at a time of crisis and stress for themselves and their loved ones.”

Notes to editors:

:: Populus, on behalf of Which?, surveyed 2,104 UK adults, of whom 793 were aged 55+, online between 11 and 12 June, 2018. The data were weighted to be demographically representative of the population.

:: The survey is part of Which?’s policy report: Beyond Social Care: Keeping Later Life Positive.

:: Which? is campaigning to convince the Government to confront the care crisis and ensure high-quality, affordable elderly care is available to all. Find out more about our campaign and sign our petition here. http://which.co.uk/carenow

:: Which? Elderly Care is a free website offering practical, impartial information and advice about arranging care in the UK. The information on the site is aimed at relatives and friends of people in need of care advice but it can also be used by people arranging care for themselves. www.which.co.uk/elderly-care

Press Release