Inconsistencies of Free Personal Care revealed to Health Committee

EMBARGO: 00.01 TUESDAY 07 FEBRUARY
To: News/Health/Community Editors

Scotland’s leading dementia charity, Alzheimer Scotland will submit oral evidence to the Health Committee on Tuesday 7th February about how Scotland’s flagship policy for free personal care is working throughout the country.

Jim Jackson, Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland says “We have always believed that people with illnesses such as dementia should not have to pay for their personal care in the same way that people with other illnesses do not pay for medical and nursing care. There is proof to show that the policy is working, is affordable and has not reduced the amount of informal care provided by families.”

However, after investigation by Alzheimer Scotland, evidence has emerged to show that the policy is not operating consistently across Scotland with regard to the preparation of food. The letter issued by the Scottish Executive on this matter does not provide sufficient clarification of what “assistance with the preparation of food” means. This has led to local authorities interpreting the definition to suit their budgets and not the person who requires personal care.

Alzheimer Scotland obtained information from 24 local authorities regarding free personal care. 6 make it clear that the preparation of food is not free personal care, 2 make it clear that it is, and 16 provide unclear information.

Mr Jackson continues, “If charging people who cannot assist in the preparation of food is correct, this means that those less vulnerable would receive the service free whilst the most vulnerable people would have to pay for an essential service. This is a perverse interpretation of the act and does not represent the spirit in which the legislation was intended.”

Further inconsistencies exist in the availability of free personal care in care homes. Alzheimer Scotland’s Welfare Rights Service has dealt with two cases where people have been assessed as needing free personal care in a care home; yet have been advised they will not be placed until money for free personal care becomes available. However, with many local authorities increasingly concerned by lack of funding and others with free personal care budgets that are completely spent, the waiting game for those in certain areas will continue.

Mr Jackson states, “Inconsistencies in the availability of free personal care in care homes undermines the credibility of a good policy. The policy removes the injustice of older people and people with dementia having to pay for their personal care services, which some will require as a result of frailty and illness. Problems with implementing the policy must be addressed immediately by providing clear leadership at a local and national level, ensuring appropriate funding in all local authorities, and budgeting for the projected increase in older people in Scotland.”

Please give our Freephone 24hr Dementia Helpline telephone number: 0808 808 3000 and our website address: www.alzscot.org at the end of articles.

Contact details:

Sarah Bromley, PR & Marketing Manager, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07966 458 869, sbromley@alzscot.org
Jim Jackson, Chief Executive, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07747 025 041, jjackson@alzscot.org
Kate Fearnley, Policy Director, tel 0131 243 1453, mob 07791 028 317, kfearnley@alzscot.org

Notes for Editor:

Other ways in which free personal care is not working:

• Increases in public and private sector care home fees charged to sef-funders equal the net value of free personal care, taking into account the loss of attendance allowance. The individual does not benefit from the full amount allocated to cover personal care.

Further recommendations to improve the implementation of free personal care

• Guidance should be provided to local authorities by the Scottish Executive on assistance with the preparation of food
• Better collection of data is required about the delivery of free personal care that puts it in the full context of community care expenditure for older people
• Free personal care should increase in line with inflation
• Payments should be backdated for people who fund their own care home place, so not to delay entry to long-term care.

Dementia affects approximately 63,000 people in Scotland.
Alzheimer’s disease is the main form of dementia. The second most common is vascular dementia. As yet there is no cure.

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s foremost voluntary organisation working for people with dementia and their carers. It:

• speaks out for the rights and concerns of people with dementia and their carers;
• operates services on over 60 sites throughout Scotland providing practical services such as day, evening and weekend centres, home care and befriending and carers' support services;
• provides the 24 hour national freephone Dementia Helpline (0808 808 3000);
• provides the website www.alzscot.org;
• supports a network of over 40 carers' support groups;
• provides information to carers, professionals and people with dementia;
• publishes leaflets, booklets, reports and a quarterly newsletter keeping carers and professionals up-to-date
• has a research programme.