Long-term Care and Government Funding

One of this morning’s Daily Telegraph front page headlines is “Care Funding Crisis on Back Burner” and of course is referring to yesterday’s Queen’s Speech.

It’s true it is on the back burner and of course as a problem for the Government the funding of long term care must look like a bottomless pit.

I would like us to start a debate amongst ourselves about what might be done to help to alleviate this particular financial challenge.

My thoughts are many and mixed and might be a starting point for our discussions.

How can any Government make decisions when they do not appear to know the real cost of the provision of care i.e.

• We know what it costs by area to keep a person in a care home if they are funded by the State.

• Do we know what it costs for a person to live and receive care at home? (when I say this I mean all the costs including housing benefits etc)

Has the Government looked at other Countries models?

Do we know anything about models that seem to work?

Does the Government need to make plans to address:

• The short term

• The medium term

• The long term

I would be really pleased to hear from anyone interested in this and if we manage to generate enough debate and good ideas we will prepare a paper which we will send to the government and circulate widely.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sheila

You are welcome to email me privately at my office address: info@nationalcareassociation.org.uk

Panorama (BBC1): 23rd April 2012

We know how disturbing many of our members found the Panorama broadcast on Monday evening. Yesterday we issued the following Press Release, which we have distributed widely and also placed on our website.

http://www.nationalcareassociation.org.uk/story_detail.asp?story=news&id=859

Excellent meeting yesterday at CQC with Alan Rosenbach the Special Policy Adviser to Cynthia Bower.

The day before at our seminar in Norwich we had asked the delegates what points they would like us to raise and they will be pleased to know I raised them all including the iguana!

The specific points I raised were:

·         Concern that if a new home or extension is being constructed CQC pays its first visit when the work is completed so if there is problem a great deal of money can be involved in making changes

·         Concerns about the impact of the regulatory fees in March 2011

·         Impact of the pressures on public funding and what that means for the care sector

·         CRB checks for young people having work experience as part of the youth contract

.............amongst other points

When I get specific responses to the some of the points I raised you will be the first to know!

I do hope you all have a peaceful Easter weekend.

 

Annual Conference And Exhibition 2012

We are delighted to announce that our Annual Conference and Exhibition this year will be held at Shendish Manor Hotel.


We are having a one day Conference and now we have the venue confirmed, along with the date of 23rd October, we have begun work on the programme.

Care Sector Forum: Portugal

I spent the weekend in Portugal at an Exhibition. Nadra and I were there to run a seminar. It was a great event, lots of good contacts and we were able to share news not only with providers of care but also to suppliers to the Care Sector.

Well done to DP Events and all their staff for another successful event.

National Care Association Responds to the News that the Care Quality Commission’s Chief Executive Cynthia Bower will resign from her post during 2012

The Press Release issued yesterday by National Care Association:

National Care Association Chief Executive Sheila Scott said this afternoon: “Members of National Care Association recognise the contribution that Cynthia Bower has made to the development of the Care Quality Commission during the last four years and wish her well.


We believe that with the publication today of the Department of Health report on the performance and capability review of the Care Quality Commission that this is the moment for a new start for the Care Quality Commission as there is clearly much still to do.”

ENDS

News update

I was surprised to read this on the Financial Times website yesterday. I would be interested to know what you think.
Sheila

8 Feb 2012 2:50am

Four Seasons races to refinance £780m in debt
Kate Mackenzie

Four Seasons, the UK’s largest care-home operator, will seek to raise up to £230m in new equity from existing shareholders and private equity groups, as it tries to refinance £780m in debt before a September deadline, reports the FT. The company became the UK’s market leader after the collapse last year of Southern Cross, taking 140 homes from its defunct rival. Unlike Southern Cross, Four Seasons owns most of its homes, which means it is less vulnerable to rent increases and pressure on fees. However, a similarly aggressive expansion strategy before the financial crisis left it burdened with debt of £1.6bn, which was halved in 2009 through a debt-for-equity swap. The reduced net debt of £780m, which falls due in September, is still too much to refinance in the current weak debt market, said Pete Calveley, Four Seasons’ chief executive. Although the company intends to pay off the existing debt in full and on time, it believes it will be able to raise only a significantly smaller amount of new debt.