MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE SAY ELDERLY RELATIVES NEED MORE HOME HELP

SAGA HOMECARE

PRESS RELEASE

January 11, 2012.

MORE THAN HALF OF PEOPLE SAY ELDERLY RELATIVES NEED MORE HOME HELP.

29% of people who saw elderly relatives 
over the Christmas period say they noticed a deterioration in their condition since last seeing them.

People who visited elderly relatives over Christmas and New Year say that they were faced with a double-whammy of worry.

Independent research carried out for Saga Homecare showed that 54% of families thought their elderly relatives needed more home help, and 29% said they’d noticed a deterioration in the physical or mental health of older family members since they last saw them before the Christmas break.

“Our research showed that 29%** of people visiting their elderly relatives over the Christmas period noticed a deterioration in their condition, and more than half (54%**) felt that their loved-ones could do with a little extra help around the home,” said John Ivers, Chief Executive, Saga Homecare.

“However, while 29% was the national average, the figure was significantly higher in Wales where 49% of families surveyed said they noticed a deterioration in their relative’s health, and 60% of families said they believed elderly relatives needed more home help.”

Families are far more likely to notice changes in the health of elderly relatives at Christmas. In a recent survey of more than 11,000 over-50s for Saga Homecare, families admitted that they spent more than twice as much time with elderly relatives over the Christmas period than usual*.  This increased contact leads many families to realise that their loved one may need more help in and around the home.

“Whether this is a decrease in their mobility or mental state, or in their ability to carry out general day to day tasks, it is certainly a wake up call for many families.  Whilst it may not be practical to spend more time with elderly relatives this year, getting them a little help around the home could be the answer to ensuring loved-ones can remain independent and in their own homes for as long as possible.”

Ends

For further information:

Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

www.saga.co.uk

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

Notes to editors

Saga Homecare is the UK’s largest provider of domiciliary care with 18,000 carers providing some 2million hours of care each month.

Information about Saga Homecare can be requested on 0800 046 8568

*Research carried out by Populus who interviewed 10,889 Saga customers, all aged 50+, online between 11th November and 17th November 2011. Populus is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules; for more information see www.populus.co.uk.

Regional split of the amount of time people normally spend with elderly relatives/ friends over a typical month

	London	South East	South West	West Midlands	East Midlands	North West	North East	Yorks& Humber	East Anglia	Scotland	Wales	Northern Ireland
Mean number of days	2.58	2.76	2.79	3.18	2.90	3.30	3.28	3.10	2.78	3.14	3.10	2.84

**Research carried out amongst 1007 adults.  Fieldwork was undertaken between 4^th – 5^th January 2012.  The survey was carried out online.  The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

CII REPORT: PENSION “TREASURE TROVES” ARE NOWHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH FOR LATER LIFE CARE, SAYS SAGA.

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

PRESS RELEASE

September 14, 2011.

CII REPORT: PENSION “TREASURE TROVES” ARE NOWHERE NEAR BIG ENOUGH FOR LATER LIFE CARE, SAYS SAGA.

The glammed-up treasure trove of private pension pots could turn to dust for the majority of the population requiring care in later life.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s group Saga, says that the findings of a report by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), entitled “Who cares?”, highlights that despite the recent Dilnot Commission, the public remains unaware of the real cost of long-term care and the need to make personal provision to meet costs.

“Around 80% of people have no idea of how much they will have to pay for care, and around half think long-term care is free at the point of use - but today’s average pension pot will fall well short of funding long-term care costs for the one in four of us who will need it,” said Dr Altmann, who has written a chapter of the report.

“According to the Dilnot Commission on Funding of Care and Support, the current average long-term care bill is £26,000 a year, the average length of stay in a care home is two years, but the current average pension income is often only £10,000 a year, leaving a huge annual deficit.

“The key is developing an awareness and national culture of saving for later life. While private pensions may have been sold as later-life treasure troves alongside images of Mediterranean villas or sumptuous retirement apartments, the fact is that we’re in the midst of a pensions crisis which will provide many people with a far more down-to-earth later life – but the impending care crisis will dwarf it by comparison.

“There is not enough money being put aside privately or publicly, and the vast majority of the population is hoping they won’t need care, when statistically at least one in four people will need it.

“The Dilnot report highlights how failure to adjust social care policy over time has left care under-funded across the board – at national, local and individual level. The welfare state was designed in the 1940s, when the idea of millions of people living to advanced old age was unheard of. Policy has failed to move with the times and is not fit for the 21st century.

“Past Governments have failed to help people prepare for care, even though at least one in four of us will require expensive care in later life. The current system of long-term care funding is haphazard, inefficient and unsustainable.

“Government spends over £100bn on benefits, over £50bn on the health service and just £8bn on care, leaving millions of vulnerable older people at risk. The issue is that people are now living so much longer than before, which is actually great news, but our support systems are being overwhelmed.

“This means most people’s whole life savings are at risk, but many do not realise this. Of course, unlike pensions, not everyone will need care, so insurance against future care costs is one obvious potential solution. However, potential care costs that need to be insured against are unlimited, so it is impossible to find affordable insurance to give full peace of mind, and it is difficult to devise policies that will provide real peace of mind.

“There are potential solutions that could be introduced, though: For example, Care ISAs, allocating an annual pension-style allowance to provide for care, incentivising employer care plans with proper tax relief, adapting annuity rules to allow pension funds to be used to buy ‘Care Pension Annuities’, with a lower starting income but which would then provide much larger sums in later life if care is needed.

“Equity Release is inevitable, since most people needing care will probably have to access some of the value of their property; Another potential savings product that would be facilitated by a cap on private care costs would be ‘Family Care Plans’. Four family members could club resources together and save in a joint-account to ensure, say, that one of them will have their care needs covered up to the cap.”

Ends
Further information:
Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
www.saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann
Saga Press Office
01303 771529.

Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800

DR ROS ALTMANN, SAGA, CALLS FOR RING-FENCING OF GOVERNMENT £400M FOR RESPITE CARE AND MORE SUPPORT FOR CARERS.

DR ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR-GENERAL, SAGA

QUOTES

September 12, 2011.

PRINCESS ROYAL TRUST FOR CARERS STUDY: DR ROS ALTMANN, SAGA, CALLS FOR RING-FENCING OF GOVERNMENT £400M FOR RESPITE CARE AND MORE SUPPORT FOR CARERS.

Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s organisation Saga, commenting on a study by The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, which says older carers are themselves suffering failing health because of their efforts.

“Saga frequently sees the impact of the caring burden on family carers.
We appreciate the strain - both physical and mental - that caring can place on families struggling to look after their loved ones. Indeed, we have set up a charity specifically to help provide much-needed respite care for older carers,” said Dr Ros Altmann, Saga Director-General and a trustee of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust.

"We urge the Government to take this issue more seriously and, in particular, we call on Ministers to ensure that the £400 million allocated for respite care a few months ago is properly ring-fenced for that purpose.

"Unpaid carers save billions of pounds for society, but they need more support and some respite can massively improve the quality of life of carers. The Report from the Princess Royal Trust highlights some big problems and, as our population of older people is set to vastly increase in coming years, its findings are quietly alarming.

“That so many older carers - some surveyed were reported to be 94 years of age - are reporting failing physical or mental health because of their commitment to loved ones is of absolutely no surprise to those in the frontline of care and those who are trying to drive care reform. It’s only going to become a bigger issue – the number of carers is expected to rise from 6 million to 9 million in the next 25 years.

“Carers need breaks. Respite care will allow carers to continue their
massively valuable role for as long as possible, and this could be achieved, at least in part, by ring-fencing the £400m Government has allocated for respite breaks - but the sad fact is that as it is not ring-fenced, carers are unlikely to see the whole benefit of this investment. This is something which the Government could and should act upon today.

“It is not in the nature of carers to complain, so it is vital that their friends and supporters persist in driving awareness of the plight of carers – and it is absolutely crucial that GPs are vigilant in overseeing the health of carers, doing everything possible to provide them with both screening and support. We also believe that GPs should be able to prescribe respite or even domiciliary care.

“The benefits associated with a trained and supported workforce to provide respite support and a care team to provide cover when the pressures of caring for a loved one become too great should not be underestimated in either social or financial terms.

“Unpaid carers receive minuscule financial support and benefits - yet they are amongst the hardest working people in society; many do not have the option ever to take a break of two weeks – or sometimes even two minutes.”

Ends

Further information:
Dr. Ros Altmann
Director-General, Saga
ros.altmann@saga.co.uk
www.saga.co.uk
07545 504513
Twitter @SagaRosAltmann

Saga Press Office

01303 771529.

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

ROS ALTMANN: WE’RE HEADING FOR A CARE CRISIS TO OUTSTRIP THE PENSIONS CRISIS.

ROS ALTMANN

DIRECTOR GENERAL, SAGA

SAGA RESPITE FOR CARERS TRUST

PRESS RELEASE

November 8, 2010.

ROS ALTMANN: WE’RE HEADING FOR A CARE CRISIS TO OUTSTRIP THE PENSIONS CRISIS.

Ros Altmann, who warned the last government of an impending pensions crisis, says that care could escalate to become a bigger financial crisis than pensions unless the current government gets an iron grip on care funding.

Dr Altmann, Director General of Saga, and a director of the Saga Respite for Carers Trust, warned: “The care issue is a time bomb. We can hear it ticking, and there is a clear strand of inevitability: it is not going to go away, it is going to get bigger – every statistic says that.

“There seems to be a great deal going on relating to care, but nothing actually happening. Every care- and age-related charity or support group and now the media itself – in the form of the BBC, no less – is acutely aware and extremely active in highlighting the current plight and future dangers associated with a growing elderly population,” said Ros Altmann.

“The people most affected, and their carers, are literally running out of time. There needs to be a decisive change in how care is provided and paid for. There is a complete lack of joined-up thinking between NHS and local government-provided care, with the problem being passed from one authority to another.

“The government’s political horizon is a great deal closer than the care horizon. Those in government allegedly tackling the care issue should be starting to think like statesmen rather than politicians, and look beyond that political horizon.

“Saga is in a unique position of being expert in both financial- and care-related issues. We can see this problem looming; other care and age issue experts can see it, but I fear the government can’t see it. Because it’s not visible or relevant to the majority of people, there seems to be no sense of urgency.

“We saw precisely that with the pensions crisis and the lending crisis; things were allowed to escalate unchecked, and cost billions of pounds to sort out when a much smaller investment at the outset would have prevented what became a massive problem.

“But we must not lose sight of the victims of the care shortfall. That around 80% of local authorities surveyed by the BBC say they are changing how much they spend on care is not just provoking uncertainty amongst the elderly and their carers, but potentially a postcode lottery too. What if, for example, of two neighbouring local authorities one declares it is cutting care spending and the other increasing it? There’s potentially a cross-boundary stampede which will make a complex situation even more complicated.

“The impact could be vast – it must be sorted out, and the next financial time bomb defused before it’s too late for the elderly and infirm, their carers – and the British economy.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

im@pressrelations.co.uk

07788 978800

www.saga.co.uk

CAMERON’S FIRST 50 DAYS: 1.5 OUT OF NUMBER TEN ON OVER-50S ISSUES.

EMMA SOAMES, SAGA.
PRESS RELEASE.

June 29, 2010.

CAMERON’S FIRST 50 DAYS: 1.5 OUT OF NUMBER TEN ON OVER-50S ISSUES.

Fifty days in for the new government, and the UK’s over-50s are seeing little sign that their 44% share of the vote is yielding 44% of the Cameron administration’s attention.

Emma Soames, editor-at-large of Saga magazine, says that while government is moving fast in some areas, it’s not moving anything like as quickly as it should to address the issues facing people who, in some cases, are quite literally running out of time.

“Forty four per cent of the voting age population is aged over 50; 94% of those 21 million over-50s claimed to have voted, according to independent research we commissioned, but have we had 44% of the government’s attention and interest so far? Far from it – we estimate it’s more like 15% of the coalition’s time and attention,” said Emma Soames.

“The pre-election Saga Manifesto, representing the views of the country’s over-50s with 14,000 survey participants, identified six key areas older people wanted addressing.

“The government’s attention to fairer finance – how older people will deal with both day-to-day expenses and retirement finance - I’d rate as two out of ten, to abolishing ageism one out of ten, age balance in Parliament zero out of ten, support for carers three out of ten, intelligent retirement one out of ten and safer streets two out of ten – an average of 1.5 out of ten for issues important to the over-50s.

“Yes, there are big issues to tackle with regard to the economy and our armed forces abroad, but in other areas they’re tackling issues in the wrong order.

“Benefits issues, big initiatives and ideas relating availability for work are all well and good, but the people involved are not in danger of dropping dead before they’re sorted out as would be the case for the very old and infirm.

“Older people in their end of life phase, especially those providing or receiving care, are on a defined time line: they’re old, they’re sick, they’re going to die – they’re running out of time.

“The closest we’ve seen to decisive action is the introduction of an eight-PCT personal health budget pilot; everything else is up for review or subject to a commission: care funding, crime, pensions.”

Ends

Further information:
Iain Macauley
im@pressrelations.co.uk
07788 978800
www.saga.co.uk

Emma Soames, editor-at-large, was editor of Saga Magazine from 2002-2008. Previously she edited the Telegraph Magazine for seven years and before that was editor of ES Magazine, Tatler and the Literary Review.