Solving the Care Gap
The UK care sector is facing a growing shortfall of care home beds, driven by an ageing population and the closure of existing homes.
New care home development is not keeping pace with demand, increasing pressure on hospitals and the wider NHS.
Redesigning and refurbishing existing care homes can help increase capacity while maintaining high standards of care and resident independence.
Increased government funding and growing private investment are key to delivering new, modern care facilities and addressing the care gap.
Following a BBC-commissioned report, it has been suggested that the UK care home industry is set to face a shortfall of beds over the coming years. As demand for space increases due to an ageing population, greater focus on development is needed to ensure that the ‘care gap’ doesn’t become unbridgeable.
Demand outweighing supply
The main fear regarding the care gap is that demand far outweighs capacity. Within the past three years, one in 20 care homes has closed – and this hasn’t been rectified by new development. Currently, care homes will need to be developed at double the rate to meet forecasted demands. As the existing population grows older, the demand for care home beds will rise dramatically; plans need to be put in place in order to meet that growth.
Care home development
Even without closures, the rate of development is still far behind what is needed for the future. Access to quality care for the elderly should not be in question, so any stagnation of development is something that needs to be addressed.
Lack of space for those requiring care can cause a worrying trend, putting greater pressure on the NHS as more people are admitted to hospital instead of receiving care in a residential home. New homes are essential, but looking at what we already have can also help.
Design and redesign
In addition to the creation of new homes, existing care homes could help to bridge this gap. A focused approach during a redesign/refurbishment can create space to house more residents without compromising the high level of care the home provides. When establishing or reestablishing the design of a care home, it can be hard to strike a balance between maximising space, encouraging independence and offering a healthy variety to residents. Older homes in particular will benefit from a close reevaluation of the layout, structure and core focus of the facility in order to keep this objective at the heart of its construction.
Funding
Of course, local and government funding is becoming increasingly important for the care industry. A Department of Health representative responded to the research stating that local authorities throughout the country would have access to a £2bn boost over the next three years. Such an injection of funds would go a long way towards tackling the care gap, allowing for the creation of high quality, modern care facilities in conjunction with specialist development support from distinguished care sector experts.
Private equity funding for care homes is also receiving a boost, which means local authorities, charities and private operators can develop new care homes and extend/refurbish their existing stock.
At Aedifice Partnership, we manage the appointment of the right contractors and designers, while managing the relationships which comes with such projects. Contact us for a quick quote!