On 30 July 2019, recommended fees were approved for placements in Ceredigion’s independent sector care homes for older people for the period of 2019 to 2020.
Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet agreed to set a fee of £580 per week for residential care and £619 for dementia residential care. £592 will be charged per week for nursing care and £630 for dementia nursing care. These are fees paid to independent care homes by the council to place older people who need support in care homes.
The council is subject to Welsh Government guidance which obliges the council to have a mechanism to discuss costs and performance with independent care providers. The setting of fees need to take into account current and future costs of providers as well as surrounding factors that influence costs.
The council has been working with the Ceredigion Care Home Association to understand and respond to the cost pressures being felt by the residential and nursing home market. The council is committed to making sure there is a sustainable and developing care home sector in the county; to let Ceredigion residents to stay in their community regardless of their health and social care needs
The Cabinet has agreed to increase the fees by 4% per year. This was based on the need to meet growing wage and pension costs, and the impact of the change in the minimum threshold from £40,000 to £50,000. The council also agreed to change its policy for paying for a placement for a period of time following the death of a resident.
Councillor Alun Williams, Cabinet Member responsible for Adult Services said, “It’s important that the Council finds the right balance each year, setting fees that are cost effective whilst supporting high quality care, bearing in mind the cost pressures to which our providers are subject.”
This decision supports the council’s corporate priorities of investing in people's future, enabling individual and family resilience.
15/08/2019