New research shows more families caring for parents and arranging crisis care

More working adults than ever are caring for ageing parents, with families often forced to find care at short notice and navigate complex funding decisions alone, according to new research from Ageing Britain: How demand for care homes is changing.

The findings highlight how unpaid carers are increasingly holding the care system together, while also balancing jobs, families and emotional strain. Despite growing awareness of future care needs, most people are still seeking care during moments of crisis, when choice, time and support are limited.

More working adults are caring for a parent

The research shows a clear shift in who is providing care. In 2025, more working adults cared for an older relative than for a child, reflecting both an ageing population and later retirement ages.

Around 60 per cent of people searching for care homes were doing so for a parent, and two-thirds of those searches were made by daughters. This reinforces evidence that women continue to shoulder the majority of unpaid caring responsibilities.

Many carers are balancing employment alongside complex care decisions, often with little practical or emotional support. This growing pressure is increasingly recognised as a workplace issue, not just a private family matter.

Care is still sought in crisis situations

Despite signs that people are beginning to research care earlier, urgency continues to dominate care decisions. In 2025, 52 per cent of people needed care within one month, and 16 per cent needed care within one week.

Care searches are often triggered by hospital admissions, falls, sudden declines in health or the death of a partner. When decisions are made under intense pressure, families may accept placements that are not the right long-term fit.

Care funding confusion adds to family stress

Paying for care remains one of the most difficult and poorly understood parts of the care journey. While 69 per cent of people who know how they will fund care expect to self-fund, many report receiving little guidance once they are deemed ineligible for local authority support.

More than one in five people do not know whether care will be self-funded or state-funded, and one in ten expect to pay top-up fees on top of council funding. Although enquiries for state-funded care are rising, fewer older people now receive long-term local authority support, leaving families facing major financial decisions with limited information.

How live-in care and Elder can help

For some families, live-in care offers an alternative to residential care, providing one-to-one support while allowing older people to remain at home. Elder’s live-in care service can support people following a hospital discharge or as care needs change, helping families avoid rushed decisions.