Elderly And Disabled To Select Care

New plans for the introduction of personal social care budgets have been welcomed by an expert.

The government has proposed that elderly and disabled people are set to be given the chance to select the care services they are entitled to from their local authority, which expands on a plan originally put forward in 1996.

Sarah Head, a health and social care adviser at Irwin Mitchell, said such a move will have a strong impact on services, but suggested that those given the entitlement may need some level of support.

She explained: “Increasing access to personal social care budgets is a positive move forward for many vulnerable adults.

“The ability to purchase the care you need when you need it enables people to improve their quality of life and meet their individual requirements.

“Managing a budget directly can sometimes mean more responsibility if you employ your own staff because you need to pay their tax, National Insurance and arrange for a police check unless services come from a registered care agency or voluntary organisation, so help should be provided to address these issues.”