Cumbria County Council is to consult on plans to invest an extra £5.2 million in care services for older people over the next three years.
The multi-million pound cash boost for older people’s services is a key element in the county council’s 2008/9 Draft Budget which cabinet members today approved.
Government changes to the budget process means the council is now able to plan ahead over a three-year period.
The number of people aged 85 and older in the county - more than half of whom receive some form of care - is expected to increase by nearly 10 per cent over the next three years.
The extra investment proposed in the Draft Budget has been earmarked for an expansion in services which deliver more independence and choice for the county’s ageing population such as:
- Night time home care which enables more carers to get a night's rest;
- Extra-care housing which provides people with their own front-door and the sort of 24-hour on-site care and support previously only available in residential homes;
- The Home from Hospital scheme which ensures that when people leave hospital they have a warm home and food to eat as well as someone to care for them.
ENDS
Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337