Bath-based organisation Ageing Without Children has warned that people ageing without children are 25% more likely to be in residential care than older people with children.
Already there are over 1 million people aged over 65 who do not have children and this will double to 2 million by 2030.
The numbers of single older people with disabilities who do not have children is projected to increase by 80% by 2037.
With no family to fall back, people ageing without children are more likely to rely on residential care when they can no longer manage alone at home. If the care home market collapses, it could have a catastrophic effect on people ageing without children.
Kirsty Woodard Director of Ageing without Children said: “People ageing without children are already a quarter more likely to use residential care and, as it becomes harder and harder to get care at home, its likely that percentage will rise.
“There are simply no back-up plans in place by the Government to manage a failure in the care home market. Government tends to work on the basis that if the worse happens, people’s families will be able to step in and that’s just not the case for everyone.”
However, AWOC’s concerns are not just about the possible lack of care home availability, but also about the quality of care people receive in them.
Kirsty Woodard continued: “The level of care being provided in some homes is deeply worrying. Often poor care is uncovered or reported by family members especially adult children.
“People ageing without children tell us they are terrified about being poorly treated or abused in care homes. There is a huge need for advocacy services to work with care homes to ensure that those without family have a voice, but sadly what advocacy services there are, are severely under funded and under pressure.
“We are are calling on the Government to ensure its Green Paper on Social Care, to be published later this year, includes proper planning for the many people who will be ageing without children or family and who, consequently, will need more state support. “
