Counsel and Care has today welcomed the report from the ippr and PriceWaterhouseCoopers on attitudes towards social care. The report highlights that there is still a worrying lack of awareness of social care and its nature amongst the public, with the majority not making any preparations for their own care in the future. The report calls for an independent panel set up by government to engage in a debate on the future of social care.
Caroline Bernard, Policy and Communications Manager, said: “This survey clearly shows that there is still a great deal to do to inform the general public about social care, both in advance of and beyond publication of the Green Paper on social care funding.
“One of the many concerns older people and their carers who contact Counsel and Care’s advice service have about the current care system is its inconsistency in levels of care and charging. Having paid tax and national insurance all their lives, older people cannot then understand why good care isn’t available to them wherever they live – particularly if family or friends elsewhere are getting a better service. And families and carers are shocked when they are informed that social care is not free at the point of need.
“The starting point for this debate – as the report states – is the fact that the status quo is not an option – the system has to change urgently. Everybody in this country must see the care debate as their business.â€