Care choices – Elder factsheet

Written by Zenya Smith30/04/24

Tags

Arrange careFamily support

We understand that starting your care journey can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if you’re completely new to the world of care.

We surveyed 1000 people to capture how and when they’re exploring their care options, and shared some key statistics on why care at home is becoming a popular choice for many. 

How and when are people looking for care?

50%

of respondents had arranged care before, meaning many were completely new to the process

60%

of those who had arranged care relied on online searches (e.g Google) to find their care provider

38%

didn’t explore their care options until a few weeks before it was needed. 

Source – Elder Awareness Report 2024

Attitudes and situations

Every family is different. The event that pushes them to seek professional help can be influenced by many different factors. Here’s what our respondents said about their own situation and concerns. 

73%

of respondents who had arranged professional care, had provided some level of informal care to their loved one first

64%

of those between 45-54 years old were worried about balancing caring for their loved one with their work and other relationships

42%

of those between 55-65 years old were worried about being able to provide the right quality and level of care their loved one needed

38%

of all respondents were worried about carrying out intimate tasks (e.g washing, toileting) that may feel uncomfortable

Source – Elder Awareness Report 2024

What about older people themselves?

While caring for a loved one can be difficult to navigate, needing care yourself can be just as difficult to come to terms with. Needing your family to provide more and more daily help can bring with it a wide range of worries and complicated feelings. 

51%

of women worry about becoming a burden or taking up too much of their family’s time

34%

of men worry about the cost and financial implications their loved ones may face while caring for them

30%

of all respondents felt that having a family member support them with personal care would be uncomfortable or cross a line in their relationship

Source – Elder Awareness Report 2024

What types of care are people choosing and why?

There are a lot of care options to choose from, which can make getting things right for your loved one seem like an impossible task. We asked our respondents for their thoughts and feelings on different types of care. We also looked at the latest research from The Live In Care Hub on how live-in care shapes up compared to more well-known options. 

66%

were likely to consider, or very likely to consider daily care visits at home

30%

were likely to consider or very likely to consider live-in care 

47%

were likely to consider, or very likely to consider moving their loved one into a residential care home

Source – Elder Awareness Report 2024

What do respondents think are the main attributes of live-in care?  

Reliable

Tailored to the individual

Consistent

Care facts

3x

more likely to have a hip fracture in a care home compared to full-time live-in care

30%

of care homes say it’s impossible or very unlikely that residents can leave the grounds unless a visitor takes them

98%

of people receiving live-in care say it’s helped them have a better quality of life

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