Majority of people have no plans for paying for their elderly care, says LGA

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The majority of people have made no plans for paying for their elderly care, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

A poll by BritainThinks carried out for the LGA found that only 15% of adults are making plans for paying for their elderly care with 50% saying they had never thought about it.

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “This polling raises real concerns over how prepared people are for their own care needs, or the care of their loved ones.

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“Half of the public polled have little or no understanding of what social care means, whilst only 15% of people are making plans to pay for their care in later life, with those from poorer social backgrounds half as likely to have a plan in place compared to those in wealthier social circumstances.”

Almost half of people polled (48%) said they had little or no understanding of what social care meant, with only 13% saying they had a good understanding of what it is. Furthermore, 5% of people said they had never heard of the term ‘social care’, with 44% believing it was provided by the NHS and 28% understanding it was free at the point of access.

Across the UK, 44% of people pay the full cost of their care in care homes, the LGA said.

Following the poll findings, the LGA is calling on the Government to lead a national campaign to heighten the profile and reputation of adult social care.

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