Care Home Bed Shortage

• The UK is facing a growing care home bed shortage, driven largely by an ageing population and rising demand for elderly care.
• Research suggests a significant shortfall in beds over time, with more local authorities expected to be affected each year.
• Funding remains a key challenge, though increased government support and private investment could help if used effectively for new builds and improvements.
• Availability varies by region, making access uneven; improving care home quality and investing in new developments are seen as key long-term solutions.

UK Care homes are set to experience a growing bed shortage over the next five years, according to a watchdog report. There are numerous issues surrounding available space in care homes; from funding worries to disproportionate availability throughout different areas, it’s becoming clear that this is an issue which requires focus, planning and ongoing attention to solve.

The statistics

Looking at the numbers highlights the wide-ranging issues. Which? – who carried out the research – has found that there will be 42,000 fewer beds available across the country, with the shortfall rising dramatically each year.

By 2018, eight local authorities are expected to experience a shortage, with this growing to 150 by 2022. These results are based on existing supply, set against expected population trends. One of the driving factors behind the shortage is the UK’s growing elderly population – the number of people aged over 80 will rise from the current 2.7 million, to 3.1 million by 2022.

Funding

Sufficient funding has long been as issue for the care industry. Short term issues have led to large amounts of closures in the past, but as the Department of Health has announced before, local authorities are receiving an extra £2 billion over the next three years. Combine that with increased private equity funding, it could be argued that the care industry looks to be on stable footing when it comes to available funds. It’s essential, though, that this this money is put to good use, be it for new builds, renovations or expansions to existing homes.

Disparity

Not everywhere is facing – or is expected to face – a bed shortage crisis. In fact, numerous local authorities – such as Stoke on Trent and Portsmouth – are in surplus, according to the research. It was also found that London will have the highest concentration of shortages. It’s this disparity which makes it difficult for families to find sufficient care close by, instead relying on hospital care, adapting to home-based care solutions, or pursuing longer distance moves to find room in a quality care home.

Care home quality

One solution is to focus on care home quality in order to attract investment. Quality and space aren’t mutually exclusive, they just require proper attention to detail when planning the design or redesign of a home. The difficulty lies in solving the problem for both the short and long term. New build construction, with professional project management to focus on providing space and high quality care, will alleviate much of the shortage issue, but will take longer to implement.

Funding existing care home stock – either redesigning or extending homes – to focus on adding space where it’s needed most will also be a huge help. But it’s important not to compromise on care just to raise available bed numbers. This balance is always difficult to attain, but it’s one that is essential for the future, and one that can be achieved by working closely with the right team. Contact us for a quote!