Seven out of ten people worried over elderly care

SEVEN out of ten people are concerned about the care their elderly relatives receive, with many thinking it is sub-standard, new research has shown.

A study of reviews left on feedback website the Good Care Guide showed many people viewed elderly care as needing improvement, with 71 per cent of all negative reviews ­directed towards care provided by ­UK-wide homecare agencies and care homes.

The Good Care Guide, launched a year ago, is similar to travel website TripAdvisor, allowing people the chance to find, rate and review care providers. An analysis of thousands of reviews revealed concerns over standards of care.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) rated homecare agencies as having sub-standard care, with care homes close behind at 15 per cent. The biggest concern for 84 per cent of people choosing a care home was cost and quality of care or specialist care, the ­reviews suggested.

In contrast, the quality of care children receive was rated highly, despite being expensive, with 90 per cent of those who wrote on the site about childcare leaving positive reviews. But providers were rated low for value for money – 8 per cent of childcare reviews were negative ­specifically about their value for money, with comments including “horrendously expensive” and “costs most of my salary”.