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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| The cost implications of the changing population and characteristics of care homes | | Author(s) | Robin Darton, Ann Netten, Julien Forder |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 18, no 3, March 2003 |
| Pages | pp 236-243 |
| Keywords | Care homes ; Nursing homes ; Charges ; Closure ; Standards of provision. |
| Annotation | Recent increases in care home closures suggest that homes may not be able to balance pressures to reduce costs against pressures to increase standards. A survey of care homes was conducted in in 21 English local authorities in 1996. A complete response was obtained for 618 homes (75%) and 1,500 residents. Findings were compared with surveys conducted in 1996 and 1998. Dependency was significantly related to prices, primarily due to the differential payments to nursing and residential homes. Home characteristics were related to price, the proportion of single rooms having the greatest impact. However, prices were most sensitive to local wage rates, particularly in residential homes. Compared with previous surveys, levels of dependency had increased, particularly in voluntary residential homes and nursing homes. Independent homes were more likely to be purpose built, and have a higher proportion of single rooms. Although practices appear to have been kept below those expected from increases in costs, standards of provision have improved over time. However, continuing pressures on costs and prices are likely to lead to further home closures and a restriction of choice for older people. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-030425217 A |
| Classmark | KW: LHB: QEJ: 5YW: 583 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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