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Social care reform

Why is this important?

Local authority social care teams can provide a wide range of supporting services to people with Parkinson's such as

  • home help (e.g. help with shopping or housework)
  • meals on wheels
  • personal care (e.g. help with dressing or bathing)
  • aids or adaptations
  • residential care

Social care can help people with Parkinson's continue with everyday activities such as work, family life and hobbies. Assistance with day-to-day living helps people with Parkinson's maintain mobility and independence.

Our 2008 members' survey found that 1 in 5 of those who reported having personal care needs were not getting the support they needed. 1 in 10 people thought their home was unsuitable, due to stairs or steps or because it needed other adaptations.

It is essential that health and social services are delivered in a joined-up fashion with effective communication between professionals.

Social care reform news

Social care is rarely out of the news. Plans for reform and the debate over how social care services such as homecare should be funded are ongoing across the UK.

In July 2010 the coalition Government announced the establishment of a Commission on the Funding of Care and Support to report within a year on how social care funding should be reformed in England.

The Commission will take into account the recent debates over how people might pay for social care in the future, including the previous Government's Green Paper and the Big Care Debate. We'll be submitting our views to the Commission when they open their call for evidence in 2010.

The Government also announced it will not be proceeding with the Personal Care at Home Act 2010. But it will be looking at what can be done to improve services to help people at home and their carers with available resources.

Find out more about how we are working to improve support for carers.

Get involved

Sign up to our National Campaigns Network to take part in regular actions about the future of social care and other issues affecting the lives of people with Parkinson's.

What we are doing

We respond to government and other consultations likely to affect people with Parkinson's and their carers.