Scottish Care Home Private Sector Maintains Stability Whilst Public Provision Shrinks
Scotland’s care home sector has experienced a substantial contraction over the past decade, with the number of facilities falling by 18 per cent, according to the latest census data published by Public Health Scotland.
The Care Home Census for Adults in Scotland reveals that as of 31 March 2024, there were 1,020 care homes for adults operating across Scotland, compared with 1,240 a decade earlier. Registered places decreased by six per cent to 40,079, whilst the estimated number of residents fell by seven per cent to 34,113.
The data, which covers all adult care homes regardless of funding source, shows that occupancy levels have also declined marginally, dropping by one percentage point over the ten-year period.
Whilst overall numbers have declined, the pattern varies significantly by sector. The private sector, which delivers the majority of care home provision in Scotland, has shown remarkable resilience. The estimated number of residents in private sector care homes for older people stood at 25,853 on 31 March 2024, virtually unchanged from the 25,886 recorded a decade earlier.
In stark contrast, the voluntary and not-for-profit sector experienced a 37 per cent decrease in resident numbers to 2,134, whilst the Local Authority and Health Board sector saw a 17 per cent decline to 3,222 residents.
The census highlights the continuing prevalence of dementia within care home populations. Of the estimated 30,170 long-stay residents in care homes for older people on 31 March 2024, approximately 19,093 – representing 63 per cent – had either medically diagnosed or suspected dementia.
This proportion has remained consistent with previous years, underlining the critical importance of specialist dementia care training and facilities within the sector.
Despite the comprehensive nature of the census, data collection remains challenging.
Of the 1,020 care homes open on census date, 818 facilities (80 per cent) submitted data for at least part of the census, whilst 202 homes (20 per cent) provided no information.
Public Health Scotland estimates missing data where possible, using established methodologies to ensure the statistics remain as complete and reliable as possible. The census was not conducted in 2019/20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
