Care homes need to be revamped for 'rock and roll' generation says former care minister

Former care minister Paul Burstow is calling for care homes in the UK to be revamped and is heading up a commission to design a new care home model suitable for the ‘rock and roll’ generation.

The Commission on Residential Care has been formed with the aim of developing a vision of residential care that is fit for the 21st century.

In recent years, the care home sector has been plagued by abuse scandals, such as Winterbourne View. But behind the headlines, care homes are being challenged by reduced public spending, the wholesale transformation of the health and care systems, an agenda that promotes choice and personalised care for everyone, and a rapidly ageing population, which is placing additional pressure on a care system already under strain.

At the same time, peoples’ expectations of residential care are changing, as current generations become accustomed to a higher level of independence and choice than the post-war generation, and more emphasis is placed on supporting people with disabilities to live independently in the community.

It is hoped that following the year-long Commission on Residential Care, hosted by the think tank Demos, care homes will no longer be perceived as places where people go to die, but as homes where people are able to carry on with their independence intact.

In a speech to launch the Commission, Mr Burstow said we need to turn care homes “from a place where the curtains are drawn and no one really knows what is going on in them to places of laughter and light”.

He added: “For many the thought of residential care is a source of dread, an unwelcome last resort. Media reporting of care has fuelled the negative stereotype. Yet care homes can be places of light and laughter, a home from home.

“The goal must be to give people a real housing choice in later life, rather than a fire sale as things start to fall apart. Adaptations and staying put, yes, but moving as a genuine choice too.

“There needs to be a reappraisal of the role of residential care, a realisation that it is part of the solution, rehabilitation of its reputation and a valued place in our care system.”

Dr Jane Prince, principal lecturer in Psychology at the University of Glamorgan, agrees with this premise. She said: “Research suggests that the needs of current care home residents are not being met; stereotyped assumptions about what older people want to do with their time means many are frustrated and unhappy. One common complaint is that their autonomy is stripped from them when they enter care homes often by well-intentioned staff who still have little insight into the residents’ potential) and their daily activities are controlled and limited.”

Demos is launching the Commission on Residential Care as a response to the financial and cultural crisis threatening the sustainability of the sector.

Former care minister Paul Burstow will lead a team of experts and providers on the Commission, which includes Chai Patel, chairman of HC-One, Des Kelly of the National Care Forum and Professor Julienne Meyer, one of the pioneers behind the My Home Life initiative.

Over the course of twelve months, Demos' Commission will consider the financial, operational and cultural aspects of residential care and how these might be improved.

Laying out the challenges ahead, deputy director of Demos Claudia Wood said: “Residential care is being buffeted by financial pressures and a growing cultural backlash, by those who see it as an outdated part of the care system, ready to be mothballed.

“But demographic change – not least an explosion in the number of very old people with complex needs and dementia – means residential care should become a more vital part of a modern care system, not less.

“To do this the sector must pro-actively grasp the challenges is faces and show that it can deliver personalised, empowering care. It's not just a last resort, but a place people choose to live in a more social environment.”