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Age Concern Director General Gordon Lishman said:

“The latest CSCI report shows a widening chasm opening up between those who get council supported care and those who don’t.  Fewer people are receiving care at home despite increasing needs and the government saying these services are a priority.  People are missing out both because of very tough means testing and increasingly restrictive and arbitrary assessments of people’s needs.

“A review of eligibility criteria is very welcome but what is urgently needed is a substantial increase in care funding and fundamental reforms which should follow the Green Paper.  A new partnership between the state and individuals must deliver better quality, improved access and a fairer way of paying for care.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

• No. of older people receiving help at home (homecare, meals, day care down from 867000 in 2003 to 840,000 in 2006 despite 3% increase in +75 population
• 6,000 older people with high support needs and no informal care receive no services.  275,000 op with less intensive needs and no carers receive no services
• 1.5 million older people - 60% of the total number of older people with an impairment or disability – have ‘some shortfall in their care’.  50,000 older people with high support needs who do have carers have some shortfall in their care

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