Families urged to plan older relatives' care earlier

Care home provider Anchor has commented on figures that show, once again, a surge in care home enquiries during the post-Christmas period.

This trend, which sees a boom in Google search statistics for terms such as ‘care home’, ‘nursing home’ and ‘retirement living’, is believed to occur because families get together over Christmas and New Year and many loved ones realise that they have not picked up on an individual’s care needs due to the time since their last visit.

20765 chief executive Jane Ashcroft says: “Christmas is a time when families reunite, often after spending months apart. Family members may notice for the first time that an older relative is struggling on their own and in need of more support.

“This is often a wakeup call for families, who then decide to take action in the New Year, when we see a significant increase in enquiries. We’re urging families not to leave it until crisis point to discuss and plan later life and care options.”

A further cause of alarm comes from January 2015 figures being higher than previous years, with Anchor reporting that their own web statistics are 60 per cent higher than in January 2013.

At carehome.co.uk this trend is also obvious, director Davina Ludlow comments: “Over recent years we have noticed a significant trend during January with a huge rise in the number of people searching for care homes after the Christmas period.

“We feel this increase is a reflection of how family members take positive steps in the New Year to assist their relatives.

“Residential care can often feel like a daunting step – but it can save someone from not only the day to day tasks which have become difficult, but also from feelings of loneliness and isolation.”