One in four faces scandal of care home top-up charges
are being asked to pay a lot more than they can afford and in others we have heard of families under pressure not to dispute an unfair request for a top-up, when their loved one is in hospital, because otherwise it would take even longer for them to be discharged.”
The law states that top-ups should only be paid voluntarily to pay for a home closer to family or extra facilities such as a nicer room and with their consent.
It makes it clear that older people have the right to be offered at least one residential placement which is available and affordable.
Age UK said it was hearing more and more examples of relatives being asked to pay a top-up, often because there was no local care home place available that the council had enough money to pay for.
A spokesman for Care England, which represents independent care providers, said the report highlighted the ongoing complications in the social care system.
Its chief executive Professor Martin Green said: “The payment of top-ups is complicated because individuals do not know whether they are paying for services over and above their needs or making up for inadequate local authority payments.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: “This Government is committed to ensuring those in old age receive affordable and dignified care, which is why we backed the sector with an extra £2billion of funding over the next three years.
Lagging
“While some people choose to top up their care in order to have a more expensive service, the local authority must ensure people have a choice of accommodation by making at least one option available and affordable.”
is lagging behind when it comes to looking after elderly people, research shows.
The UK failed to make it into the top 10 of a new “global ageing index” – behind table toppers Norway and Sweden, as well as the US, Holland, Japan, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Finland and Spain.
The index was launched yesterday at the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics’ World Congress.