Registered homes 1: residential homes

Abstract

The 1980s have witnessed a rapid increase in the number of registered homes, nursing and residential. The increase in the numbers of elderly as a proportion of the population and the closure of long-stay beds in the National Health Service have increased the demand for residential and nursing home accommodation in the community. Prior to 1 April 1993 this development was encouraged by the fact that, provided that a resident was eligible on financial criteria to receive higher level income support payments from the department of social security and a place was available, no further assessment was required. As a result the availability of social security provision provided an incentive in favour of residential or nursing home accommodation, even when support in the community for clients in their own homes might have been preferable.