Care for older people is 'too concentrated' in private sector

Retired vice admiral, now Sage Advocacy chairman, Mark Mellett, at a Daffodil Day event at the Clayton Silversprings Hotel, Cork. He says older people support a not-for-profit care model. Picture: Michael MacSweeney/Provision

More than 80% of people believe that care for older people is too concentrated in private providers, and more Government involvement is needed, a study has found.

The Government has agreed to establish an independent Commission on Care for Older Persons in January 2024. The Commission is to examine the provision of health and social care services and supports for older persons, and make recommendations.

In planning for the commission, Sage Advocacy, the national advocacy service for older people, released the results of a Red C poll that measured public opinion on issues relating to support and care for older people.

The results show that support for State funding of care for older people is strongest among those aged 35-54.

Older people tend to favour a unified system of home and residential care. According to the survey: 

• 81% of respondents wanted to see the introduction of a commissioner for older people;
• 89% said legislation to safeguard older people is required; 
• 81% agreed that government should provide an innovative fund to promote small-scale household models of congregated care, as an alternative to larger nursing homes; 
• 61% said older people should be able to directly employ a care worker;
• 58% said the State should allocate personal budgets for this purpose;
• Almost three quarters (73%) of respondents aged over 55 said there should be a right to assessment of care needs, in the form of a Care Act.

Commenting on the results, Sage Advocacy chairman Mark Mellett said: 

There are clear messages here for the Commission on Care, when it begins its work in 2024.

“The first is that older people tend to prefer a unified and integrated approach to the provision of support and care, rather than separate schemes.

“The second is that older people are divided on how care should be paid for — fully funded by the State or via a system of co-payments.

“The third is there is a concern that homecare and nursing home care have become overly concentrated in the hands of private providers, that people would like more innovation to promote alternatives, and would welcome some form of national not-for-profit organisation to help meet the challenges of an ageing society and economy.”

Calling on the Commission on Care for Older Persons to study the results of the survey carefully when it is established, Mr Mellett said those in the 55+ age group were most concerned about issues of ownership, the need for alternative models, and more personalised approaches, and were “surprisingly supportive of the idea of a not-for-profit / social enterprise approach, which we call 'a GAA for care’”.