English care home closures are leaving vulnerable people at risk, says watchdog
English care home closures are leaving vulnerable people at risk, says watchdog
This story is bad news for rural areas where the cost pressures on the homes covered here will be hardest pressed financially. It reinforces the importance of alternative models – particularly extra care and the extension of assisted technology to support the ongoing quality of life and independence of older rural dwellers.
The quality and safety of social care services received by elderly and disabled people in England are in danger, as care homes close and providers pull out because they can no longer make enough money, the care watchdog has warned.
In a bleak assessment of the future of vital services that support millions of people, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) voiced alarm that the care sector as a whole is “at risk”.
Providers are in trouble because their costs have increased by up to 30% in the past year while their profit margins have fallen by more than 40%, it warned. It pinpoints the national living wage (NLW) and the inability of cash-strapped local councils to pay higher fees for these services as the main causes of a growing problem.
The number of care homes overall in England has fallen from 18,068 in September 2010 to 16,614 in July this year, at a time of growing need linked to the ageing population, according to figures released by the CQC.
The total number of beds available in care homes also fell between 2010 and 2016 from 255,289 to 235,799 this summer – a fall of 19,490. While the number of nursing homes increased slightly, from 4,387 to 4,623 in that time, more than one in 10 residential homes – for elderly, often frail, people – have closed. The total of those available has fallen from 13,681 to 11,991 – a drop of 1,690.