An open letter recently sent by 78 different care organisations to all major political parties warns that the care system is at breaking point. This follows indications that spending on adult social care is to be cut by around £1bn this year.
Such reports are not isolated. Similar warnings have been around for years.
The letter was signed by leaders of BUPA Care Services, the Local Government Association, Age UK, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and social workers and care groups from across the spectrum of public and private providers and charities.
It stated: "The reform of funding for older people's long-term care and for younger people with disabilities remains one of the most difficult and challenging policy issues confronting England.”
The current care system in England is almost universally agreed to be in crisis.
The letter states:
“For over a decade, governments of all colours have struggled to agree an answer. But delay is no longer an option. As a number of recent reports have highlighted, the increased pressure on public finances is pushing an already over-burdened system to breaking point. And without further integration between health and social care services this picture could worsen. It is frail, older people who will suffer unless the issue is resolved."
Age UK's charity director Michelle Mitchell said:
"The current care system is in crisis. None of us want to live in a society where older people have to struggle on alone, isolated, scared and vulnerable for the last years of their lives."
A government commission will report its findings to ministers in July.
A Department of Health spokesperson said:
"We will bring together their findings with those of the Law Commission in a White Paper by the end of the year, to put in place a lasting and fair settlement for social care."
David Cameron has already taken the issue as a personal priority as part of his “National Challenge on Dementia”
David Rogers, chair of the Local Government Association’s wellbeing board, has said:
"Without fundamental reform and sufficient funding we risk losing the public's trust and confidence in our ability to do the best for people in later life.
"We now need politicians to transcend political point-scoring and wake up to the ticking demographic time bomb this country is facing."
The question of how to arrange, finance and deal with the reality of long-term care whether at home or in residential care is of course one that virtually all families will face.
The provision and arrangement of such services is a legal duty on the state.
Stephensons’ community care team has expertise in the many field of community care law including adult care provision, child care, and care funding matters.
We have been involved in a number of important cases in this field.
Legal Aid may be available, or we have competitive fixed fee tariffs to assist people.
Our community care team is part of the civil liberties unit who regularly challenges public law decisions on behalf of the individuals that they affect.
By community care expert, Pete Donohue