The Managing Director of Corinium Care has joined national calls for greater awareness of live-in care as an option for older people who can no longer manage alone at home.
Clare Janik has teamed up with other live-in care providers and the UK Homecare Association to lobby health professionals and MPs and push the profile of live-in care higher up the national care agenda.
“Live-in care is not only a good and affordable option for thousands of people in the UK, it also forms an essential part of the care landscape,” said Clare.
“It benefits the individual because it means they can maintain their independence and stay in their own home as long as possible.
“It reduces pressure on the NHS because it helps keep thousands of older people out of hospitals, and enables them to go home sooner rather than taking up much-needed beds.
“And finally it boosts the economy because it’s a rapidly growing part of the private sector.”
Award-winning Corinium Care has expanded rapidly since its formation in 1995 and now has 17 staff in Gloucestershire and more than 800 registered carers.
“The problem we face as an industry is that live-in care is hardly mentioned when the issue of the ageing population comes up at Westminster and within the NHS.
“There is a lot of discussion about care homes and the spiralling costs of social care, but the existence of live-in care as an alternative is not significantly recognised.
“It’s up to those of us in the industry who believe passionately about it to stand up and promote it as an affordable option which provides quality care.”
The UKHCA has agreed to lobby MPs and help educate health care professionals, including GPs.
There are more than 10 million people over the age of 65 in the UK, and that number is set to double in the next 30 years, placing extra burdens on the NHS and social services departments which face swingeing spending cuts.
“When we discuss how to face the challenges of an ageing population, we cannot ignore the question of where the money for social care and health care is going to come from,” said Clare.
“In that context, it makes sense for the live-in care sector to lift its head above the parapet and to play a more visible role in the provision jigsaw so that the best care choices can be made.
“We know that, generally, older people want to stay in their own home for as long as possible, surrounded by a lifetime of memories and things they hold dear. Live-in care helps to make that happen.”
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