Region Doesn’t Miss A Beat When It Comes To Legal Advice On Care In Later Life

A new survey into has revealed the North West is the top region in the UK when it comes to people seeking the advice of a lawyer before signing a care home contract, at a time when social care in the UK is described as a ‘national scandal’.

The YouGov survey, commissioned by top national law firm Irwin Mitchell, revealed 35% of adults in the North West would seek the advice of a solicitor when it comes to care home contracts, five percent above the national average and a full 14% above their North East neighbours.

The findings support the unfortunate reality that the North West region has been named as the worst for elderly abuse allegations and the worst performing region for satisfactory care homes.

Paula Myers, national head of tax, trusts and estates at Irwin Mitchell, said: “When it comes to care home contracts, sound legal and financial advice is vital.

“Media attention focused on such news may well have had an impact on adults in the North West being the most willing to seek legal advice and above the national average for seeking care home advice from a financial advisor.”

A staggering 40,000 cases of care home abuse were investigated in the North West in 2015/16 alone and with the government’s proposed green paper on social care over two years late and counting, even all the allegations have not been enough to switch a majority to the benefits of professional advice when it comes to such a key issue.

The average cost of a care home in the UK can be as much as £511 a week (£26,572 a year) in the North West – and Irwin Mitchell experts advise any other contract would involve legal professionals.

Expert Opinion

“While adverse publicity might be a powerful persuader in getting people to recognise the importance of professional advice, 35% and 25% for legal and financial respectively still leaves a significant number of people content to seek help elsewhere and 12% not intending to look for any advice at all.

“On the whole there is a national crisis when it comes to later life planning and we’re concerned the country is sleepwalking into a situation that will be very difficult to remedy without significant changes in attitudes, both from the public and the government.” Paula Myers - Partner