Care sector: A ticking time bomb?

What are the problems facing the care sector and how do we solve them?

Thirty years ago people would be more inclined to look after members of their own family. That’s not the case anymore.

Adele Thornburn: Prevention is right at the top of the agenda and has been from the outset.

Unfortunately, over the last 20 or so years the regulated care sector has become marginalised and there’s a lot of negative media around care and care homes.

Tracey Bush: We need to concentrate on empowering, supporting and valuing the workforce because some fantastic work goes on that isn’t showcased. Working in a supermarket is often more appealing than working in a home and supporting our elderly. That’s not right.

In a lot of cases the reason the trusts have got such massive deficits is because their hospitals are full of people who could be in a care or nursing home, or looked after in the community. It’s not because the money’s not out there.

Local authorities have faced multi-million pound cuts and social care is one of their biggest budgets.

Adele Thornburn: There is a lot of investment being made around joint health and social care initiatives. We have to acknowledge that people should be allowed to live how they want to live and support them back into their own home and then see whether they can manage, and look at long-term residential care as a possible solution.

• For the full debate, see the January/February edition of Lancashire Business View.