Care home fees in Ceredigion set to rise

By Katy Jenkins LDRS

CEREDIGION care home placement fees are set to rise to the third highest level in Wales.

The standard fee for older persons’ placement commissioned by Ceredigion County Council in private residential and nursing care homes and the last review of fees was in 2018/19.

A report to Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet states that the fee setting process for 2021/22 had been “challenging” and an external review was undertaken to “ascertain the true cost of care in Ceredigion.”

This was started in January 2022 by Laing Buisson, a nationally recognised expert, with fees increased by 9 per cent from April 2022 as an interim measure.

Cabinet member for through age and well being Cllr Alun Williams said that increases would lead to the “third highest fees in Wales” but it reflected “the real cost of care here.”

In Ceredigion there are 10 independent sector care homes – seven residential and three nursing homes – and five local authority care homes.

The independent report – which was prepared following data collection surveys, consideration of national evidence and data, inflation, occupancy, and other work – recommended that weekly placement fees be set at £760 for residential care, £812 for residential EMI and £891 for both nursing and nursing EMI care.

The increases range from £116 to £171 or 18 pre cent to 24 per cent, a report to cabinet on November 1 states.

Cabinet was told that the cost of the increases to the council is around £520,000, with £405,000 provided for in a contingency.

Implementing the fees, back dated to April 2022 for private care homes, and in local authority run residential care homes, and the effective date for individual contributions to care was October 31 2022, was approved.