The generation strain: collective solutions in an ageing society

The number of older people in need of care is expected to outstrip the number of family members able and willing to provide informal care in 2017, according to a new report by the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR).

By 2030, an estimated 230,000 older people in England who need care of more than twenty hour a week could be left without family to help. The number of people aged 65 and over without children to care for them will almost double before the end of the next decade and by 2030 there will be more than 2 million people in England without a child to care for them if needed.

Overstretched services will struggle to provide extra care, with two thirds of all health resources already devoted to older people and social care services facing a funding crisis.

The report produced by Clare McNeil and Jack Hunter makes a number of recommendations, which will be addressed as part of a five-year funding settlement across health and social care.

1. New neighbourhood networks to help older people to stay active and healthy, help busy families balance work and care and reduce pressures on the NHS and social care.
2. Care coordinators providing a single local point of contact, to replace the 'case management' currently provided by adult social services in every area by 2020, for all but the most complex cases of care.
3. The option of a shared budget to enable those using community care to arrange this collectively.
4. Stronger employment rights for those caring for people who need more than 20 hours of care a week, to make it easier for family members to combine work and care.

The full report can be accessed here (opens new window).