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A new report by Independent Age reveals the stark variation in the quality of care homes at a regional and local authority level across England. 

Responding to the report's findings, Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said:

“Concerns about the financial sustainability of the care home market continue to grow but this cannot be an excuse for poor quality care and it is horrible to think that in some areas the choices are so limited. This is a frightening situation for older people and their families who above all want their loved one to be somewhere caring and safe – and this really shouldn’t be too much to ask in an advanced economy in the twenty first century. In the worst affected areas the social care infrastructure is now so threadbare that there's a real risk of vulnerable older people and their desperate relatives waiting endlessly for a good and affordable local care home place that no longer exists."

"Concerns about the financial sustainability of the care home market continue to grow but this cannot be an excuse for poor quality care and it is horrible to think that in some areas the choices are so limited.

"This is a frightening situation for older people and their families who above all want their loved one to be somewhere caring and safe – and this really shouldn’t be too much to ask in an advanced economy in the twenty first century. In the worst affected areas the social care infrastructure is now so threadbare that there's a real risk of vulnerable older people and their desperate relatives waiting endlessly for a good and affordable local care home place that no longer exists." 

“This is why it is imperative that the Government’s Social Care Green Paper expected later this year comes up with an effective way of strengthening social care and putting it on a sustainable financial footing.” 

Related information:  https://www.independentage.org/news-media/press-releases/best-and-worst-areas-for-care-home-quality-england-revealed-new-research

For more information:Contact the Age UK Media team on: 020 3033 1430 (out of hours: 07071 243 243)