Deborah Alsina MBE Chief Executive of Independent Age, said:
“While there is much to be welcomed in the White Paper, it doesn’t address many of the issues that older people in need of care are facing today. As we head into winter, the strain on our already threadbare care services is growing by the day, and people in later life and their families will be hard hit. We need a much clearer statement from the government on how they plan to make the care sector sustainable, with the funding to back it up.
“There is a chasm between the vision outlined in this White Paper and the experiences of older people needing care this winter. If the government is to achieve its aim of fixing social care once and for all, it needs to put in the investment to make that possible. The amounts pledged in this paper are welcome, but they are too small to match the scale of the task. Without significant financial investment, the government’s vision risks amounting to nothing more than another series of empty promises.
“Care settings are facing a workforce crisis, with estimates this week suggesting the sector may have lost up to 50,000 carers in just the last six months. We need more funding urgently to ensure that older people receive the care they need to be able to live with dignity, choice and purpose. It is positive that the government is finally thinking about its long term vision for social care, but the fact is we need action from them now if we are to avoid a winter care crisis.”