Speaking during an Assembly debate on Free Personal Care, the Minister said that he had asked officials to bring him an early assessment of the costs and implications of a number of options including:
- Excluding a person’s main home from any financial assessment;
- Increasing the level of assets/savings a person can hold;
- Increasing Personal Expenses Allowances; and
- An update of the proposal originally put to the Executive in 2002.
The Minister said: “There is an injustice in our society which sees the frailest members of our society being forced to give up their family home to pay for care in a nursing home. These people are being asked to contribute towards their care by losing their most valuable and hard earned asset – their home.
“My party has a manifesto commitment to Free Personal Care. It is an issue which was raised by the Assembly in 2001 and resulted in a report which estimated that the cost of implementation to be over £40 million. I have asked for an urgent and comprehensive update on the 2002 report which will consider the experiences of Scotland and Wales and identify the cost of any other potential options.”
Personal care relates to tasks such as help with eating, dressing, washing and bathing, getting in and out of bed and keeping safe. In October 2002, a £100 payment to cover the costs of nursing care, both in a person’s home and in nursing homes, was introduced by health trusts.
Mr McGimpsey said: “Implementing Free Personal Care will require legislation and public consultation which could take more than two years to complete. There are other options which could be introduced more quickly to address the unfairness in the current system, including allowing people to keep their family home if they need residential care. I have asked officials to consider this urgently.
“Our primary aim is to help people maintain their independence and remain at home with the right care and support. Where this is not possible, they should not be punished for the misfortune of ill-health or disability. In a civilised society this cannot be right and I intend to do something about it.”
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- In 2001 the former Assembly moved that the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly – including Free Personal Care – should be implemented in Northern Ireland.
- The Group presented a report in July 2002, estimating the cost of Free Personal Care at between £40M - £60M. The Executive subsequently requested further work be carried out, but was suspended before the Group could report back.
- A 12 week property disregard was introduced in April 2002, which means that the value of a person’s home is not counted for the first 12 weeks of moving into a care home. This period is to allow people time to recuperate and regain as much capacity for independent living as possible before they have to make what is often an irreversible decision about their future and the possible sale of their home.
- In October 2002, Payments for Nursing Care were introduced. This means that £100 per week is paid by HSC Trusts for those nursing home residents responsible for the full cost of their care. These payments ensure that nursing care is now free in nursing homes, as it is in all other care settings. In Northern Ireland the rate for nursing care is £35 per week higher than that paid in Scotland.
- Since 2002, the limits on the amount of savings or assets used to determine how much someone should pay towards the cost of their care and, consequently, how much financial support they are entitled to, have increased in line with the limits in England to £13,000 (lower) and £21,500 (upper).
- Free personal care would involve a payment from Health and Social Care Trusts to cover the cost of providing personal care. In line with the recommendations of the Royal Commission Report on Long Term Care for the Elderly, it would not mean that all services in care homes would be free, as individuals would still be expected to contribute towards the costs of living and accommodation expenses.
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