The government’s white paper on adult social care is designed to provide a “suitable and sustainable” system for the future, according to care minister Gillian Keegan.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Keegan stated the government is reforming the system to ensure “everyone can access outstanding and personalised care and support” and “adult social care is fair and accessible to all who need it.”
“This will require physical and digital infrastructure which is why we are investing £300 million in housing to help people remain in their homes or appropriate supported housing settings with upgrades to homes, such as stairlifts or wetrooms,” she added.
“On the digital side we will be spending £150 million on technology such as sensors to help monitor without disturbing the sleep of those receiving care unnecessarily and improving access to digital records so everyone has the right information at the right time to provide the best care.”
Keegan reiterated the government’s additional support in social care for local authorities and the workforce.
“We are giving a record £4.8 billion for local authority support, providing £162.5m as part of workforce recruitment and retention fund and £388m for infection and prevention control support but this is about more than figures on a spreadsheet,” she wrote.
“Our care staff have our admiration for their tireless work and we will support them to train and gain qualifications - backed by £500m”.
Keegan also repeated the government’s claim that its £86,000 cost cap nobody would be forced to sell their home in their lifetime to fund their care.
“This will end the pain of those catastrophic care costs so more people can preserve their savings and assets and pass something on to their loved ones,” she wrote.
“This is about getting the right balance between personal and public contributions with a charging system which is necessary, fair and responsible.”
