Help for those mystified by care system

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

• The majority of adults are unaware of what care is available (59%) and have no idea how much it costs (66%)

• More than two thirds of people say that they are not likely to consider care decisions until they become urgent, increasing the risk of not choosing the best provision

• A quarter of adults who already use care provision say they struggled to find appropriate care and now feel they ended up with the wrong type of support.

• Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) launches online service Find Me Good Care to help public navigate complex world of care and support

• Range of services on Find Me Good Care, for adults of all ages, shows just how much support is available if you know where to look

The Find Me Good Care website has been launched to help people find the right care and support to suit their needs and lifestyle, whether at a time of crisis or as they plan for the future.

Developed by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), the UK charity focused on improving care and support services, Find Me Good Care is a comprehensive source of adult social care information and advice.

The care system is a mystery to many, with SCIE’s research revealing that the majority of British people don’t know what options are available to them and two thirds have no idea how much care provision costs.

Find Me Good Care has been created to help people take their first steps in seeking the right care – it includes information and guidance on how to choose and pay for care together with a directory of providers and the opportunity to provide feedback.

A general lack of awareness, combined with the fact that most people are seeking support at a time of crisis, increases the risk of people ending up with care that isn’t the most suitable for them; a quarter of adults who already use care provision say they struggled to find appropriate care and now feel they ended up with the wrong type of support.

These findings highlight the need for Find Me Good Care to give people better choice and control through reliable information and advice.

Andrea Sutcliffe, CEO of SCIE, commented: “We know that the care system can be confusing and the research has confirmed that most people are unaware of their options - that’s why we’ve created this service. We have brought together comprehensive advice and guidance to help people take those all-important first steps in navigating the care and support system. 

Planning ahead for you and your family’s care needs is something that few people consider doing. However, when the time does come to choose care, be it during a crisis, moving from child to adult services or something that is planned in advance, Find Me Good Care can help.

Ultimately, it has been designed as a tool to help people choose support that fits their needs as well as their lifestyle. Needing care services shouldn’t challenge who we are as people.”

Almost three quarters think that there is a need for better guidance on care and support and more than 8 in 10 said they would welcome a site that helps them understand what their options are.

Jude Irwin, who has had to arrange care for her parents, said: “It has been an absolute minefield finding the right care for my parents. They both have dementia and I've never felt very clear about the options available for them. A website like Find Me Good Care would have been really helpful to me; I would have loved a place to go to say: ‘These are my circumstances – what are my options.’ You don’t always get that at social services or the GP.”

For more information visit www.findmegoodcare.co.uk or follow @findmegoodcare on Twitter.