Baseline fee rates for elderly take slight dip

A Community Care Market News and Laing & Buisson annual survey has found that local authority rates for nursing and residential care have taken a slight dip in the last year.

It was discovered that baseline fee rates for the 200,000 council-dependent elderly population in independent care homes across the UK have experienced an average uplift of 2.6 per cent for financial year 2009/10, dropping from three per cent the previous year.

The Alzheimer's Society explained that care homes show that good care can make a major difference in the quality of life of many people including those with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Money is a deciding factor in resources, training, staff and support, the charity continued.

An Alzheimer's Society spokesperson added: "In these times of unprecedented fiscal stringency and low rises in baseline fee, councils and care homes must show extra vigilance when commissioning for quality care."

The charity regularly highlights many indicators of the neurodegenerative conditions such as a loss of memory, mood changes, communicative problems and, in later stages, the ability to carry out basic tasks.

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