04/02/2014
An online calculator has been rolled out by the BBC in order to bring information on UK care services within the hands of those who need care..
The online guide dubbed as “care calculator” was launched last January 28, 2015. It offers guidance for those needing information on UK’s residential care as well as support given in people's own residences.
The calculator can be accessed at http://www.bbc.com/news/health-30990913. Once in the site, choose the type of care you or your loved one is interested in. Enter the postcode for the area where service is desired to be given. Questions relevant to care support, such as property ownership, income and assets, will then be asked. Once the answers to these questions are entered in the appropriate boxes, the user can now calculate for the probable cost of care.
BBC’s online calculator used information from LaingBuisson’s research, data from councils as well as those obtained via FOI (freedom of information) requests.
England’s Care Minister Norman Lamb told the BBC in a January 28 report that he was impressed with the initiative and called the care calculator as a “fantastic resource” that provides substantial information.
The chief executive of the charity Independent Age, Janet Morrison, also welcomed the online guide’s launching. She said: "Working out what to pay for care is a complex business and is often approached at a strained and emotional point in people's lives. Anything that makes this process simpler to plan, understand and navigate is applauded."
