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Record no: |
1 of 1 |
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Author: |
GHK; |
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Title: |
Thinking about ...: choice and welfare in the UK care homes market |
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London: GHK, 2011. 6p. |
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Abstract: |
Enabling consumer choice is a key component of many policy developments and public service reforms. This paper explores choice in the UK care homes market and the implications for consumer policy. It reports on research and analysis undertaken for the Office of Fair Trading on the impacts of an earlier market study on the care homes market. The research concluded that there have been improvements in the provision of information to consumers, but that continued vigilance is needed to ensure that the market does work for care home residents. It also identified reasons why the model of an informed consumer able to exercise choice and drive improved outcomes, particularly in relation to price and quality, is not always applicable for the care homes market: consumers are not always aware they have a choice, how information and choice is framed can undermine effective decision-making by hindering like-for-like comparisons, and prospective care home residents may not have the capability to make effective choices. The research found that care home selection is often constrained by factors such as lack of time, location issues, and availability of support. Although a short term stay at a care home for respite care can be used to test quality and services, it was found that care home choice is for many a one-time decision and switching between homes is rare, thus limiting the impact of consumer switching on the market. The paper reports that it is important that policy makers recognise the limited ability of many older people to exercise choice in the care homes market, because of rising demand for care home places, increasingly from consumers who need to arrange their own place, and because people moving into care homes will tend to be older and frailer. |
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Format: |
book; |
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Topics: |
care homes; choice; decision making; mixed economy of care; older people; private sector; |
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www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/profile.asp?guid=33d24c18-31db-4fd7-83ea-18f8ffcc4f9f |
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