‘POLITICIANS SHOULD STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR THE MESS THEY HAVE MADE OF CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE’: NURSING HOMES CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO MEET THE REAL COSTS AND PREVENT A FINANCIAL MELTDOWN

The biggest UK body representing nursing homes has hit out at politicians for trying to pin the blame on others for the mess they themselves have made of the country’s system of long-term nursing home care for older people.

The Registered Nursing Home Association says the Government, as well as politicians from other parties, should wake up to the reality that older people with health needs are treated as second class citizens who are expected to put up with receiving a smaller proportion of public expenditure than they are entitled to.

In a statement today, the RNHA called on the political establishment to stop wagging fingers at nursing homes for simply wanting to cover their costs. The central issue, it says, is the massive under-funding of residential nursing care. Older people are treated as pawns in a political chess game. The time has come to make them kings and queens.

Said RNHA chief executive Frank Ursell: “It is scandalous that older people should receive much less than younger people to cover the cost of their nursing care. We are living in a country where ageism has become totally ingrained. There will have to be a revolution in the way older people are viewed by the rest of society, and by our politicians in particular. It is just impossible to provide the right quality and level of care for £350 to £400 a week. The amount available to pay for care is simply too low.”

He added: “The Government boasts that it is pumping more money than ever before into health care. I don’t know where it is going, but it is certainly not going into the care of older people, who are the ones who need the extra money more than anyone else.”

The RNHA is angry at accusations that nursing homes have been taking advantage of the introduction of free nursing care for older people in order to put up their fees.

Such claims are dismissed by the RNHA as a convenient smoke-screen to cover up the fact that the Governments of all colours have consistently failed one of the most vulnerable sections of the community.

The RNHA says so-called ‘free’ nursing care for older people has not addressed the fundamental problem that there is not enough money in the kitty to meet even the basic costs involved in looking after them. It warns that unless urgent action is taken, many more homes will be forced to close their doors for good.

The RNHA is calling for a phased programme of well above inflation increases over the next five years that will put long-term care on a soundly financed basis once and for all. It wants an independent body to identify realistic cost levels which all parties accept and can sign up to.”

Said Mr Ursell: “We are not asking for anything ridiculous. But we believe there is plenty of evidence that the true cost of providing nursing care round the clock is now at least £420 a week. In those parts of the country with the highest living costs, the figure is significantly greater.”

He added: “Nursing homes will find their costs rising far faster than inflation in the period up to 2007 as they are forced by new regulations to cut the number of patients whilst facing higher overheads.

“We want to Government to recognise these realities and to accept their responsibilities towards older people. Ministers cannot bury their heads in the sand and pretend that every old person will be able live at home, regardless of their state of health. For many thousands of people with high levels of dependency, nursing home care is the only option.

“Let us see some practical steps, both in the short-term and the long-term, that will save the nursing home sector from financial meltdown and ensure that the older people of this country receive the care and respect they deserve.”

END

For further information, please contact Frank Ursell, chief executive officer, RNHA
(Tel: 07785 227000 mobile)

Notes to editors:

1. According to Department of Health figures, between 1998 and 2001 the number of general nursing home beds in England fell by nearly 22,000 from 165,836 to 144,068.

2. According to the Personal Social Services Research Unit, the number of older people with the greatest level of dependency could rise by 63 per cent over the next thirty years.

3. According to figures given to the House of Commons by Health Ministers, there are around 6,000 NHS hospital beds ‘blocked’ on any one day as a result of delayed discharges. The cost to the NHS is calculated to be £720 million a year.

4. On average, a nursing home receives around £340 to £350 a week per patient.
On average, a local authority-run care home, with less dependent residents than a nursing home has to look after, costs between £400 and £500 per person per week.
The average cost of a long-stay hospital bed is around £1,300 per patient per week.

5. Over the past three years, nursing homes have had to meet increases in nurses’ pay of around 5% to 6% per annum. In addition, they faced an 11% increase in the national minimum wage in October 2001. During this period, the amounts paid to nursing homes to cover the costs of State-funded patients rose by around 1.7% per annum.

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