English care homes 'to see funding rise of just 0.5%'

A new survey claims that care homes in England will receive a funding increase of just 0.5 per cent this year.

The poll by Laing & Buisson gathered responses from 186 of 208 councils with responsibility for social care, finding that there were many "clear variations" in funding plans across the country.

Reacting to the news, leading dementia charity the Alzheimer's Society claims that funding cuts are inevitable in the current economic climate - but this should not be an excuse to cut corners.

"There are alternatives to slashing costs on care - it is possible to ensure high quality of life for residents, providing value for money and without incurring extra cost," commented Ruth Sutherland, acting chief executive for the charity.

Ms Sutherland went on to say this could be achieved by formulating a national strategy for dementia care, as people living with the condition make up two-thirds of people living in UK care homes.

According to the Alzheimer's Research Trust, there are more than 820,000 people in the UK who have the disease.

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