More people supported to stay in their own homes
A new report from the NHS Information Centre has revealed that councils are supporting more people so that they can remain in their own homes rather than live in a care home.
According to the report, the number of people receiving council funding to live in a residential or nursing home fell by four per cent over the past 12 months.
The emphasis has instead moved to enabling more people to stay in their own homes, the report reveals.
A government target to provide 34 per cent of people with intensive care at home by March 2008 was met by two thirds of councils, meaning that fewer people have had to give up their home in order to obtain the necessary care and support.
Robert Lake, interim director of social care at the NHS Information Centre, commented: "The report charts the growing emphasis local authorities are placing on enabling people to remain living independently within their own home.
"This is shown by the falling numbers of people they are paying for to live in a residential or nursing home as well as the increase in numbers they are supporting to stay in their own home."
A recent report by the United Kingdom Homecare Association warned that one of the main barriers to home and live-in care is fuel prices.
Nearly two thirds of homecare providers predicted that they would be forced to turn down jobs in the near future because the cost of travelling to the person's home would be uneconomic.