THE BOSS of a retirement living company which has a complex in Malvern has called on the Government to take ownership of the social care crisis when the budget is delivered later today.
Nick Sanderson, the chief executive of Audley Villages, has accused Prime Ministers and Chancellors of ’empty promises’ which he says will not solve the problems facing Britain’s ever-ageing population and their families.
He said: “With our ever-increasing ageing population and a system that simply doesn’t support it, the only feasible solution is reducing the need for care within the UK.
“This involves a more holistic view of social care for older people.
“We, as a nation, need to change the narrative around the social care services and make them a last resort.
“By bringing together health, social care and housing we will take a big step towards alleviating the pressure on the system.”
He said a drive towards a cross-party consensus and plan would be welcomed but added empty promises would not do.
“These pledges have to be put into action.
“The Government is likely to settle on throwing money at the problem, this won’t even scratch the surface.
“We need to start at the root cause.”
Research carried out by Audley Villages found 87 per cent of people in the West Midlands felt the Government needed to rethink how it managed social care.
More than four fifths (82 per cent) did not believe sufficient resources were in place to support a growing older population.
And less than a third believed the state would be able to provide for them financially if they had care needs in later life.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is due to announce his budget later today.
