Are We Ignoring the Care Elephant in the Room?
It is something that forever sits in the back of our minds. The minds of not just us though, our parents, children, grandchildren, etc… Later life planning.
Recent reports in 2025 (Just 2025 Care Report, Carers UK and Age UK) predict that:
- 80% of over 65s will need care before they die
- 50% of us, by age 50, will end up caring for an older adult
- 63% will contribute financially towards the needs of an older adult
There is an ageing population across the UK and there is a growing number of us becoming unpaid carers.
Is Government Policy to Blame?
The pandemic in 2020 saw the number of informal carers jump from an estimated 9 million to 13.6 million. Government reforms are typical of a government response:
- No sense of urgency, commitment
- Lack of sufficient resources
- No long-term strategy
The care system is complex to say the least. There are no fewer than 7 different, fragmented, bureaucratic sources to navigate, all giving out different information, which no surprise can leave people feeling isolated and alone.
It is estimated that just 7% of those self-funding care are actually taking advice. Whether this is regulated or unregulated advice. The unregulated side being Information > Guidance > Advocacy, which could be anything from hospital discharge to sourcing funding to options and problem solving. Regulated advice being a personal recommendation as to the best way to pay for it.
Commitment to good outcomes means having these difficult discussions before they reach a crisis point.
There is an ever-growing need for trusted advice around later life planning. What is a vulnerable time for the individual needing care and also the carer doesn’t have to be a confusing and worrisome one.
