Care

According to a survey by Laing and Buisson in 2016, approximately 16% of all people aged over 85 require full time elderly care in skilled care homes across, like Flixton Manor, in the UK. Of those 65 years of age or over, 4% live in full time residential care.

On the surface, such statistics may not seem startling but when you consider the number of people in the UK, it’s estimated that at least 420,000 people require full-time care in an assisted living.

Now, let’s look to the future. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that by the year 2046, the UK population will have swelled to just over 75 million, and the percentage of UK residents aged 65 and over will be just under 25%. That means potentially in just over 25 years, a third of the UK population will be classed as seniors.

What does this mean? As time passes, the service provided by care homes will grow to become important than ever. So, whether you’re in the prime of your working life or can see retirement just over the horizon, understanding care home costs is paramount. After all, no harm ever came from planning for your future!

As a transparent and caring care home, Flixton Manor provides clients, residents and the UK public with clear information about all things care home related. So, with that in mind, here are five factors that impact the costs of elderly care.

The Type of Care

The cost of making sure that your elderly loved ones are safe, looked after and cared depends on the type of care chosen. Hiring a live-in or part time carer comes at a cost. Arranging for meals to be delivered as a service to the homes of elderly residents comes at a cost. Getting a place in a residential care home comes at a cost.

The most important think to remember is that choosing the right type of elderly care is paramount. Flixton Manor is one care home that delivers the pinnacle of care to residents – at a favourable cost.

The Complexity of Care

The care routine impacts the cost of care for elderly people. The least expensive is generally considered to be companionship care. More complex care needs tend to cost more.

For instance, should elderly people need PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy) or care that requires a feeding tube to be inserted through the abdominal wall and into the stomach comes at a higher cost. The more specialist the care, the more costly it will be.

The Provider

Just as the complexity of care affects the cost, care provider costs may also vary. Different care homes and care providers offer different packages which means that care can be tailored to budget as well as medical needs.

The cost of caring for a patient with Alzheimer’s will be differ depending on the provider and facilities required. Providers will also offer varying standard care packages. It’s always wise to do your homework before committing to a cost. You may find that Flixton Manor care home, for example, to be infinitely more cost-efficient than competing residential care homes.

The Location

Believe it or not, the location of a care facility affects the cost of care. If, for example, you live in London, the home counties or the Royal Borough, you may find care home costs to be much more than those in Greater Manchester.

Now, we’re not saying that you need to only consider choosing a care home for a loved one in a specific area – one that’s miles and miles from where you live – but choosing the location of a care home shrewdly could well save you in the long run.

Funding

Should your loved one have assets totalling less than £23,250, their local authority will partly or wholly fund the care home costs. This is great news for seniors who have less assets than they’d like and who require residential and medical care.

Should residents be seeking the best elderly care and have assets to cover the costs, government funding is not available, the care home will provide a quote for their services based on the personal needs of the resident.

So, there you have it, five factors that influence the cost of care for the elderly. Interested in learning more about the costs of care homes or how Flixton Manor provide superlative levels of care to residents? Contact us today.