In 2021, approximately 13 million people were aged 65 or older in the United Kingdom. By 2030, the
, thus nearly 20 percent of the population will reach retirement age. With the increase in care needs that come with age, the importance of residential care in the UK’s healthcare system is undeniable. In the UK, residential care entails nursing homes, called care homes with nursing, and residential homes, simply known as care homes.
Leading care home operators in the UK
According to the number of care home beds,
UK’s leading care home operators were HC-One Ltd, Four Seasons Health Care, and Barchester Healthcare. In 2019, these operators accounted for over 50 thousand care home beds. Although the
occupancy rate of care homes in the UK did not increase over recent years, it remained quite high with rates between 87 and 89 percent. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the uptick in mortality produced an 8.5% decline in occupancy across care homes in the UK. The care home occupancy rate decreased to 79 percent in the second quarter of 2020. As private pay was one of the
main sources of funding of care homes, occupancy loss is bound to impact the care home sector.
The rising cost of care homes in the UK
Over the years, the cost of care homes with and without nursing has considerably increased in the UK. The
average weekly cost of care homes in the UK stood at 672 GBP for care homes without nursing and 937 GBP for care homes with nursing. Although the rise of home care costs in recent years seems steep, it can be less dramatic once adjusted for inflation. Care home costs vary from one UK country to another. As of 2020, the priciest care homes without nursing were found in Scotland, whereas the cheapest was found in Northern Ireland. Care homes with nursing care were, on the other hand, the priciest in England.
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