Fewer residents in care homes in Manchester - and bosses are puzzled why

Demand for care homes in Manchester has dropped during the pandemic – and if the trend continues, it could save the council millions of pounds.

The number of people aged 65 and above who are in residential or nursing homes in the city fell by more than 20 pc in the 12 months after March 2020.

There were nearly 900 people in care homes when the Covid crisis started – but there are now around 700 over-65s receiving residential or nursing care.

This is ‘significantly below’ estimated levels, according to Manchester council, and could result in savings of a further £2m for the local authority next year.

It comes as the town hall is forecasting a £153m financial gap over the next three years, starting with £4m of savings in the budget to be set in April 2022.

Why is this happening?

Council bosses say they expected demand for care homes to rise again when the furlough scheme ended and fewer people were working from home – but despite small increases in recent months, demand has not returned to normal.

Helen Wright, director of finance lead for adult social care at Manchester council, told a health scrutiny committee last week that there seems to be a ‘reluctance’ for families to place their loved ones in care homes at this time.

She said: “Client numbers have not bounced back in the way we’d assumed.

“It’s difficult to measure whether or not that’s a reluctance for families to put people into care homes or excess deaths. We’ve nothing to believe our care homes were any different from any others. We’re not an outlier in that respect.

“We did wonder when furlough schemes end whether or not families would then return to work so we would see a bit of a take up in numbers.

“Across residential nursing provision, we have seen a small increase just in the last couple of months, but nothing significant as yet.

“So at the moment there does seem to be a reluctance.”

Councillors were told that the local authority had intended to reduce the number of people in residential and nursing homes before the pandemic.

The council has opened new extra care provision over the last six months – and this specialist housing for older people is set to expand further this year.

Director of finance Laura Foster said there is no reason to think that people are not accessing care homes because they believe they offer a bad service.

Coun Joanna Midgley, executive member for health and care, said: “Manchester, like all other parts of the country, saw an increase in excess deaths due to the Covid-19 pandemic which is a key factor in the reduction in residential and nursing placements between 2020 and 2021.

“Another factor is that we now have more extra care accommodation which is an alternative option.

“We have also been working hard to ensure that people get the support they need to live well in their own homes wherever possible through our long-term adult social care transformation programme Better Outcomes, Better Lives.

“Similarly, when people are leaving hospital the discharge to assess care pathway aims to support people back into their own home rather than into long term residential or nursing care.”