Increasing demand for care home places
New research from Laing & Buisson consultancy indicates a turning point has been reached after a 15 year decline in demand for care home places. Demand is expected to increase dramaticaly in coming years, at a time when the public sector finances are under pressure and cuts are likely across social care. The proportion of ’self funders’ is therefore likely to increase, and the total number of beds increasing from 419k to nearly 450k in five years time. This is likely to create a period of difficulty for both providers and residents, as local authority top up fees will remain static or fall in real terms. The silver lining for providers may be increased occupancy rates.
