Scotland may scrap free elderly care
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Scottish authorities may be forced to scrap universal free elderly health care due to spiralling costs.
A recent report by Scottish Parliament found that free elderly health care had risen to £358m a year. Care for those who paid to be in residential care rose above £100m a year, while in home care almost doubled to £257m.
The Scottish service helps 50,000 of the most vulnerable elderly people. Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently announced plans to offer free elderly health care for 350,000 of the most needy people in England and Wales, which could cost more than £600m a year.
Association of Directors of Social Work president Harriet Dempster told BBC Radio Scotland that spending cuts meant the policy may have to become means-tested as a result of spiralling costs, which rose overall by 11 per cent in 2009.
She said: “It’s really questioning whether the policy in the medium and longer term is viable and I’m asking that we have a discussion and debate about that now.
“I think we need to look at all the needs of our elderly and we need to take a position where we recognise that people are in different positions in society about their ability to pay.”
