Health Secretary Alan Johnson launched a six month debate about the future shape of care and support services. The intention to publish a Green Paper on the future of care and support in 2009.
Care and support describes the activities, services and relationships that help people to be independent, active and healthy, as well as able to participate in and contribute to society, throughout their lives. It is about helping people to do day-to-day things like living in their own home, working, cooking, shopping and caring for a family.
A rapidly ageing population means that in 20 years a quarter of the entire adult population will be over 65 and the number of people over 85 will have doubled. The growth in the number of people with care and support needs will put tremendous pressure on services and on the financial support that they receive through benefits and other funding streams.
Over the next six months, the Government will be asking the public and stakeholders at a series of regional events for their views about care and support to create a new system that:
The public will be able to contribute to the debate through a series of events and through a new national website at: www.careandsupport.direct.gov.uk.
The Government also launched the £31 million Whole System Demonstrator Programme that will test the potential of technologies like Telecare and Telehealth in supporting care for those with complex health and social care needs.
The pilot is being rolled out across Kent, Cornwall and Newham, where people with complex health and social care needs such as diabetes, heart and chest problems and the elderly and the frail will use the technology. Clients can also trigger requests for help should they fall and automated safety devices will be installed to ensure people are able to live at home for longer.
The programme aims to give people the support necessary to help them retain their independence in the community and greatly improve their quality of life by managing their conditions in their own homes.
Benefits of the scheme are expected to be reduced emergency admissions, reduced use of the acute hospital sector and reduced dependence on care home settings. If successful, then savings generated by reduced admissions could potentially more than offset the cost of the initial investment in the technology.
