Local councils have indicated that the Better Care Fund designed at integrating health and social care services needs the Government to commit to the fund over the longer term, at least until 2012. They insist that this is vital to ensure that the care system does not spiral into a “deep crisis”.

The aim of the £3.8bn Better Care Fund is to impact posistively on the number of hospital admissions and by providing more home treatment as well also allowing far greater support to people being discharged from hospital, prevent unnecessary admissions at weekends and reduce the number of people in residential care.

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A report from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) states that the cap on the cost of elderly care in England is not what people are expecting and says that individuals seeking financial assistance are in for a shock!

The report states that the £72,000 limit on what people will have to pay will benefit just 8% of men and 15% of women. It confirms that as the proposed cap, to be introduced in 2016, is on direct care costs only individuals will spend around £140,000 before they reach this limit.

One of the IFoA report’s authors, Thomas Kenny, said: “Anyone who is expecting that the cap will pay for care is in for a shock. The cap is there to protect against catastrophic care costs and we estimate that few people entering care aged 85 years will reach it.” The IFoA said that because the cap did not cover accommodation and living expenses – but rather the amount a local authority pays for care – an elderly person could be expected to spend £140,000 on average before qualifying.

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Concern about the way care is managed in England has been reported by the Barker Commission.

The commission fears that an increasingly ageing population together with an increase in illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and dementia has created confusion between councils and the NHS as to who is responsible for the provision of care.

Care experts have for sometime called for a merged NHS and social-care budget in England to ensure that individuals receive the best care and do not get left in limbo between the two organisations.

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A “catastrophic” situation is developing in England with many vulnerable elderly people being denied care, campaigners say.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26449081