Around 50,000 people with dementia in England will be denied care home beds by 2030 due to demand outstripping supply, according to research by the Alzheimer’s Society.
The charity’s Stabilise, Energise, Realise report highlights estimates from the consultancy Grant Thornton that the number of beds in care homes is projected to reach 450,000 by 2030, leaving a shortfall of 50,000 people with dementia without the care they need.
The Alzheimer’s Society research estimates that the number of people with dementia who need a care home bed will increase from 350,000 to 503,000 by the end of the decade.
“It’s shocking that even if every care home bed in the country was reserved for someone with dementia, we would still be tens of thousands short within a decade,” said chief executive Kate Lee (pictured).
“Every person with dementia should be entitled to quality care in the place they call home,” she added.
Stabilise, Energise, Realise identifies seven key areas of recommendations including: free personalised care through general taxation paid for by the state rather than individuals; ensuring care costs are capped; a ten-year social care people plan focused on retaining, attracting, training, putting on an equal footing with the NHS workforce; and representation of social care commissioners in the NHS, ensuring parity of social care with the NHS.
“Our recommendations for social care reform today should be met with open arms by the government,” said Lee.
“Politicians have the opportunity to step forward and make a properly reformed social care system the legacy of the pandemic. Never again must we leave our most vulnerable so unsupported.”
