Changing Aging

Putting People First.  It shouldn’t be revolutionary, but it is. 

Putting People First is the name of a program announced in the United Kingdom to pay for long-term care.

Seniors who qualify for government aid will be given money to pay for their own care.  They will have the right to decide how and where they spend the cash.  According to the London Observer: 

Under the initiative, being rolled out next April, seniors or their chosen relatives will set up bank accounts into which government will pay money into their accounts after they’re means tested. The individual or their chosen relatives will then be able to shop around for the best packages of care . . .

 UK social care minister Ivan Lewis said:  “This is the end of a paternalistic and controlling culture and the beginning of a new way for older people and those with disabilities to be in charge of their lives.  Some may decide to spend money in unconventional ways; others may find making these choices very hard.  We’ll have to face these challenges as they arise, but we know this is the right thing to do.  The more power you put into the hands of people, the more you end up with the package of care they want.”

UK politicians say that this is in response to baby boomers’ desire for choice.  Baby boomers in our Age Wave Study at Ecumen show huge support for such an approach in the U.S.  In Minnesota we have a program called Community Directed Community Supports that allows Medicaid-eligible seniors to direct what type of services they want.  No one knows it exists.  Perhaps we should ”relaunch” it under the name:  Putting People First.