Parliamentary Column Feb 08

Published on Thu 14th Feb 2008

Jonathan Chatfield says: It is madness to force people to sell their homes.

There should be few things more obvious in a modern and caring society than our need to look after older people, as they reach their later years. That is why the Liberal Democrats are proposing a Care Guarantee. Not only that, we are prepared to put two billion pounds behind it, to show how serious we are about this commitment.

If you live in Scotland, you are not charged for either nursing care or personal care. However, in England (and here in South East Cambridgeshire), you will face a tough means-tested assessment and personal care (help with feeding, bathing and dressing) can cost you up to 161 pounds for ten hours.

This inequality has led to real injustice and is a real worry to the oldest members of our community. There is a crisis looming. The number of older people receiving help at home has actually fallen in the last three years despite a 3% increase in the number of people over 75 (source: Age Concern website).

We believe there must be an assessment based on need, not on the ability to pay. One in four of the population will require some form of long-term care in their lifetime. The allocation of this must not be dependent upon the size of your bank account.

It is madness to force people to sell their homes or use up life savings when personal and nursing care is needed. It makes sense, wherever possible, for this care to be provided in the comfort of people's own homes. The personal care payment and Care Guarantee would do just that. We want to end the injustice and ensure a fair deal for all elderly people who need personal care.