Families Warned Not To Wait For Social Care Reform Before Making Urgent Care Plan

Families are being warned not to wait for long-promised social care reform before planning later-life care, as fresh Government proposals restart the national debate on how support should be funded.

Neil Gandecha, manager at Foxholes Care Home, said families are still being left to make urgent, expensive and emotionally difficult decisions after a fall, hospital discharge or sudden decline in a loved one’s health.

The Government has announced renewed cross-party talks, an accelerated independent commission into adult social care and a wider national conversation on the future of care in England.

But Neil says that people making decisions now need clearer guidance on assessments, care costs, funding routes and what to do before a crisis.

The warning comes as pressure on adult social care continues to rise. The Care Quality Commission’s 2024/25 State of Care report said new requests for local authority-funded support were up 4% in 2023/24 compared with the previous year and 8% higher than in 2019/20. Skills for Care has also reported that more than half of unpaid carers were providing more hours of care than the previous year.

Neil said: “Most families do not sit down and plan for care in calm conditions. They start thinking about it after something has happened, a fall, a hospital discharge, a phone call from a neighbour or a sudden change in someone’s health.
“By that point, they are usually worried, short on time and trying to understand a system they have never had reason to look at before. That is an incredibly difficult position for any family to be in.

In England, local authorities carry out a needs assessment before deciding what support someone requires, followed by a financial assessment to work out whether the council will contribute towards the cost. Some families may also need to check whether NHS Continuing Healthcare or NHS-funded nursing care applies.

He said: “The system is not designed to be easy to understand in a crisis, but that is exactly when most people are expected to understand it.

“Families may be trying to work out whether a parent qualifies for local authority support, whether health needs should be assessed by the NHS, what happens if there is a property involved, and how quickly a decision needs to be made. At the same time, they are dealing with guilt, worry and often disagreement within the family.

“One of the hardest things to explain is that moving into care is not a sign that a family has failed. In many cases, it is the point where a person needs more support than relatives can safely provide at home. Recognising that early can make the decision kinder, calmer and safer for everyone.”

Care homes are also under growing pressure, with rising wages, recruitment costs, food bills, utilities and maintenance all affecting the cost of providing good care.

He added: “Good care is not just about a safe room and enough people on shift. It is about continuity, routine, food, activities, relationships, dignity and the small details that make someone feel known.

“Families should feel able to ask homes what they are paying for, how staff are supported, what happens when a resident’s needs change and how quality is maintained behind the scenes.”

Neil is urging families to start conversations about future care before they are forced into a rushed decision. He said there are five practical steps people can take early:

1. Ask the local council for a needs assessment as soon as care needs begin to change.
2. Arrange Lasting Power of Attorney early so someone trusted can help make financial or care-related decisions if the person later loses capacity.
3. Gather key financial information early, including income, savings, property details and existing care costs.
4. Talk openly about what matters most to the person who may need support, including where they would feel safest and what routines are important to them.
5. Visit care homes before a move becomes urgent and ask direct questions about daily routines, mealtimes, staffing, activities and what happens if someone’s needs increase.

Neil said: “The best protection families have is time. If you understand the questions before a crisis, you are in a much stronger position to make decisions calmly and confidently.

“Visit homes before you need one. Ask practical questions. Talk to your relative about what they would want. Look into the paperwork early. These conversations can feel uncomfortable, but they are far easier than trying to make every decision on the worst day of your year.

“Care reform is often discussed at a national level, but for families it comes down to something much more immediate: finding the right support, understanding the costs and knowing their loved one will be cared for properly.”