Social care: Those at sharp end want politicians to talk about it

At a care home in the Wirall, 86-year-old Imelda dances around her room with her daughter Nicola Hurst.

In the background, Frank Sinatra croons “I’ve got you under my skin” as they sway to the familiar music.

Imelda has dementia and has lived in the home for about four years.

She is part of a large, close family and her daughter or one of her other relatives visit her most days.

Imelda had no savings and didn’t own her own home, so in theory her council pays for all her care.

But in reality, the amount provided by the council doesn’t cover the care home’s £1,200 weekly fees, so Nicola and her brother pay a £2,200 top-up each month to allow their mother to stay in the place she is familiar with.

“What keeps me awake at night is the thought that I now won’t have enough in my savings pot to pay if I ever need to go into care,” says Nicola, who is retired. “And therefore, that financial burden will pass to my children.”

She is involved with the group Rights for Residents and campaigns for more recognition of the importance of families in social care.

“Successive governments accept that this is crisis,” she says. “They accept that this is something that has to be addressed. And yet, they do nothing.”

But in England, at least, money continues to be a stumbling block, according to Sally Warren, Director of Policy at the King’s Fund. She used to be a civil servant and helped draw up plans for the care cap.

“Political parties are really anxious about making any commitment to improve the system and having to find the money,” she says.

Last year £28bn was spent on social care in England, external and reform would cost several billion pounds more.

There has been some mention during the campaign of cross-party talks to agree a way of funding social care in the long term. Sally Warren sees that as a red herring that would slow things down.

“What you need is a government that’s prepared to take action, that will legislate when it is needed, and will follow through and implement,” she says.