An article examined the motivations of a sample of managers and owners of care homes drawn from eight English local authorities - including professional achievement, recognition, and job satisfaction. The majority of the respondents' primary motivations were to meet the needs of older people and to achieve professional goals.
Source: Tihana Matosevic, Martin Knapp, Jeremy Kendall, Catherine Henderson and Jos -Luis Fernandez, 'Care-home providers as professionals: understanding the motivations of care-home providers in England', Ageing and Society, Volume 27 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Dec
An article examined changes in the number of care homes and their residents between the 1991 and 2001 Censuses. Local authority-owned provision universally declined in this period: but changes in private residential and nursing homes were far more varied.
Source: Philip Haynes, Laura Banks, Susan Balloch and Michael Hill, 'Public policy and private provisions: changes in residential care from 1991 to 2001', Health and Social Care in the Community, Volume 14 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Nov
The number of residents in supported care at March 2006 fell by 3 per cent on the previous year, to a total of 256,900 permanent and temporary supported residents. Of those who needed residential care, 9 out of 10 were living in private/voluntary sector care homes, compared to 50 per cent in 1995.
Source: Community Care Statistics 2006: Supported Residents (Adults), England, NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (0845 300 6016)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A paper said that the introduction of the national minimum wage in 1999 had caused significant growth in average hourly wages in the residential care homes sector - but only moderate negative employment effects, and no significant effect on other outcomes such as prices and profits.
Source: Andreas Georgiadis, Is the Minimum Wage Efficient? Evidence of the effects of the UK national minimum wage in the residential care homes sector, Working Paper 06/160, Centre for Market and Public Organisation/University of Bristol (0117 954 6943)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Oct
A report said that demand for places in residential settings for elderly and physically disabled people was projected to increase by nearly 6 per cent by 2016.
Source: Care of Elderly People: UK Market Report 2006, Laing & Buisson (020 7833 9123)
Links: L&B press release
Date: 2006-Sep
A study explored changes in residential and nursing care provision between 1991 and 2001. The number of care homes in Great Britain decreased by 11 per cent. Decline tended to be greater in more deprived areas with poorer levels of health. This raised concerns that care homes were not necessarily located where there was most need.
Source: Laura Banks, Philip Haynes, Susan Balloch and Michael Hill, Changes in Communal Provision for Adult Social Care 1991 2001, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2006-Jul
The government published new regulations (effective mostly from 1 July 2006) requiring care homes to provide clear information on terms and conditions, including fees, before a resident moved in.
Source: The Care Standards Act 2000 (Establishments and Agencies) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2006, Statutory Instrument 2006/1493, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Text of Statutory Instrument | Explanatory notes | DH press release | RNHA press release | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Jun
A report said that a drive to improve care for people at the end of their lives was making significant progress. But fewer than 1 per cent of care homes had revised their procedures for looking after dying people, despite new guidelines, because the homes operated largely outside of National Health Service control.
Source: Mike Richards and Ian Philp, National Health Service End of Life Care Programme: Progress Report - March 2006, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Report | DH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Apr
A report examined the emotional and practical difficulties faced by the partners of people taken into long-term care.
Source: Alison Clarke and Les Bright, Moving Stories: The impact of admission into a care home on residents partners, Relatives & Residents Association (020 7359 8148)
Links: Summary | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Apr
The social care inspectorate said that nearly half of all nursing and care homes failed to meet national minimum standards for how they gave people medication prescribed by their doctors.
Source: Handled With Care?: Managing medication for residents of care homes and children s homes a follow up study, Commission for Social Care Inspection (0845 015 0120)
Links: Report | CSCI press release | NCF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
An article said that intervention to save the lives of dying elderly patients was unsuccessful in most cases in residential care homes, and that resources could be better spent on training and equipment to improve the quality of care for the living.
Source: Simon Conroy, Tony Luxton, Robert Dingwall, Rowan Harwood and John Gladman, 'Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in continuing care settings: time for a rethink?', British Medical Journal, 25 February 2006
Links: BMJ press release | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2006-Feb
A report expressed shock at the number of care-home owners and managers who felt bullied or intimidated by the inspection process.
Source: Michael Bird and Sheila Scott, Putting Service Users at the Heart of Inspection, National Care Association (020 7831 7090)
Links: NCA website
Date: 2006-Jan