Social care system is 'bewilderingly difficult' for people to navigate

Almost a fifth of people have no idea where to find information about care - prompting a charity to call the social care system “bewilderingly difficult for older people and their families to navigate”.

The comment from a director at the older people's charity Independent Age, follows findings from a Which? poll which revealed 19 per cent of people said they did not know where to get information about care.

George McNamara, director of policy and influencing at Independent Age added: “We regularly hear from people who tell us they don’t understand whether care is free, what they are being asked to pay for from care providers or how to choose good care services."

The poll of 2,104 people also revealed only a third (34 per cent) of people aged 55+ have discussed their care preferences with a friend or relative.

When asked what would be their first port of call when looking into care options, Google was the most popular choice – ahead of speaking to their GP or friends and family.

Fewer than one in 10 said they would contact the Care Quality Commission first or their local authority - even though the latter is responsible for providing the public with advice about care. GPs were the most trusted source of advice on care for older people, along with friends and family.

Mr McNamara added: “A social care system that works for everyone is about more than money.

“The Government needs to take this research seriously and ensure the social care green paper sets out a plan for a system that clearly shows what people will have to pay and what they will get in return, and supports and allows them to thrive, not just survive, in later life.”

Findings from the research also revealed nine out of ten people aged 55+ have not put aside money to pay for care needs in old age. This is despite the fact that around one tenth of people with care needs are facing care costs of over £100,000.

Anyone with capital worth more than £27,250, for example savings or property, must pay for their own care but the poll reveals many people aged 50+ are prioritising what they want now instead of planning for future care. More than (52 per cent) said it is more of a priority for them to plan for other things they want or need to do now.

Most of the people (of whom 793 were aged 55+) who responded to poll in June, said they would be willing to pay for adaptations to their home to help them live independently for longer. The survey was part of a Which? report 'Beyond Social Care: Keeping Later Life Positive’.

As the Government prepares its green paper on social care, Alex Hayman, Which? managing director of public markets said: "Our research signals that any policy proposals that put the burden of planning for care on ordinary people may be doomed to fail.

"The Government must recognise that most people won’t have made extensive plans for their care, so the system must be designed to help people get the support they need at a time of crisis and stress for themselves and their loved ones.

"We want to see a social care system that works for anyone who comes to require support in later life – acknowledging that people are unlikely to plan for their care and supporting them to stay independent for longer."