Care and support of older people living in the community

This project aims to help policy makers weigh up the merits of reforms to the funding system for care and support of older people (aged 65 and over) against addressing unmet need (including those of carers) and reforming the nature of care and its delivery.

Researchers will analyse data from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2011 and 2012; collect data through the HSE 2013; analyse HSE 2013; and model the impact of different scenarios on public expenditure. 

The analyses will be guided by four themes:

1. Patterns of informal care given to and received by older people. 
2. The relationship between receipt of formal care, informal care and care needs among older people. 
3. The pattern of take‐up of Direct Payments and Personal Budgets by older people.  
4. User payments for state care and the targeting of state‐funded care and disability benefits for older people according to financial and care needs. 

The analyses will be used to devise scenarios on changing patterns of care and reforms to the funding of home care, and investigate their public expenditure effects using the existing models of long‐term care finance.