Author Archives: Maureen
Care Home Costs To Be Funded By State Loans
Plans to let the elderly delay care home costs until they die through the use of state loans are to be outlined by the Government.
9:53am UK, Wednesday 11 July 2012
By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent
Pensioners are to be offered state loans so that they do not have to sell their own homes to cover the cost of residential care, under new Government plans.
People will be able to borrow money from councils at nominal interest rates to finance going into care and the cash would not have to be paid back until after they die.
The scheme, being introduced across England in April 2015, is intended to help around 40,000 people each year who are forced to sell their homes to cover care costs.
But critics are already attacking the strategy, arguing that families will still have to sell the property when their relative dies in order to pay back the loan and will also be landed with the interest.
Social care cap plans ‘need funding and timetable’
Campaign groups have also said they fear the plans will be shelved because of the cost.
7 July 2012 Last updated at 16:37
Critics say the government needs to provide further details on how it will fund a cap on social care costs and when it will be introduced.
This week ministers are set to agree in principle a cap on what people in England pay towards their own care.
But Labour says the plans are “meaningless” without more details and a timetable.
And Michelle Martin, director general of Age UK said the government’s plans were “not nearly enough”.
Call this care? Government inspectors send hit squad into a care home
Call this care? Government inspectors send hit squad into a care home to rescue pensioners from abuse
- By Mirror.co.uk
- 8 Jul 2012 00:00
An investigation found that staff failed to give sick and disabled residents the medicine they needed and even left one pensioner lying naked in a wet bed for hours
Confused elderly patients were humiliated, restrained and neglected by staff at a care home.
Inspectors were so appalled by what they saw there they sent in their own team to take over. Existing managers were stood down and some staff were suspended.
An investigation found that staff failed to give sick and disabled residents the medicine they needed and even left one pensioner lying naked in a wet bed for hours.
