Elderly people are bearing the brunt of cuts to social care, according to a new report that also warns of increasing numbers of care homes going bust.
The study, from the King’s Fund and Nuffield Trust, found that the care and support older people received depended on where they lived and how rich they were rather than their level of need.
Reductions in how much local authorities pay care homes – or below-inflation increases – mean that some are on the brink of collapse, leaving vulnerable people at risk.
The cuts, combined with shortages of nurses and care workers, the introduction of the national living wage for staff and increasing reliance on people who can self-pay means many care homes are under unprecedented pressure, the report said.
Full story in The Guardian 15 September 2016