The UK Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by an elderly renowned former ballerina for continued night time care. Elaine MacDonald brought a case to the Supreme Court after her local council withdrew night time assistance enabling her to go to the toilet. The Supreme Court rejected Ms. MacDonald's appeal, upholding the Council's decision to offer her incontinent pads instead, even though she is not incontinent.
Baroness Hale, dissenting, found that the Council's decision "to characterise the appellant as having a different need from the one which she in fact has" was irrational.
Age UK intervened as third party in the matter. They warned that such a ruling could have potentially devastating outcomes for thousands of older people if other councils were to follow suit. Michelle Mitchell, Director of Age UK, stated that "care should not just be about keeping people safe. It must enable them to live dignified and fulfilled lives". However, the Council maintains that it is common practice to issue incontinence pads to people in a similar situation to MacDonald.
Age Northern Ireland (Age NI) has launched a new critical report examining older people's views on health and social care in Northern Ireland. The report, "Would you like to eat sandwiches for your tea every night? - Older people's views on social care in Northern Ireland", is based on direct consultations with older people. Key points highlighted by interviewees were issues such as valuing the needs of individuals over finances, and ensuring compassion, empathy, dignity and respect are central to the conduct and training of social care staff.
The launch of Age NI's report coincided with the launch of the Fairer Care Funding report, (also known as the Dilnot review) published by the independent Commission on Funding of Care and Support. The independent Commission was set up by the UK government last year to review the funding system for adult social care in England. Currently, an individual is assessed and once placed in care is required to pay the costs and relinquish all but £23,250 of his or her assets, including the value of a house. Currently residential costs are between £25,000 and £60,000 a year but, according to the Guardian may climb to as much as £400,000.
Among the recommendation made by the report are:
- Capping Individual's lifetime contributions towards their social welfare care costs
- raising the means-test threshold, above which people are liable for their full care costs, from £23,250 to £100,000
- national eligibility criteria and portable assessments to ensure greater consistency
Click here to view the full Age NI report, and click here to view the full Fairer Care Funding report.