Lib Dems warn of care home swipe cards

Many elderly people require expensive nursing care

Care home residents face the introduction of bedside swipe cards to prevent arguments over who should pay for basic care such as feeding, the Liberal Democrats have warned.

The credit card-style system already operates at bedsides in several American states, according to Paul Burstow, Liberal Democrat spokesman for older people.

Plans to limit government funding to care by registered nurses could see the scheme introduced across the UK, he warned.

Charging for care on the basis of who provides the care and where, rather than on what care is needed, is a recipe for confusion

Charles Kennedy
Liberal Democrats

Nurses, paid for by the state, and care assistants, usually paid for by the resident, swipe cards when a resident is bathed, fed, has a bandage changed or is given other basic care.

Liberal Democrats have already forced the Scottish assembly to foot the bill for all personal care north of the border.

The party will make its commitment to do the same in England and Wales a priority in its health manifesto at the next election.

Mr Burstow will team up with party leader Charles Kennedy on Monday to launch a fresh campaign on the issue which, they hope, could hit Labour in the same way as the pensions row in the run-up to the next national poll.

Liberal Democrats' Paul Burstow fears arrival of US system

Government plans to continue means-testing on care given by assistants at care and residential homes fail the fairness test, said Mr Kennedy.

"Charging for care on the basis of who provides the care and where, rather than on what care is needed, is a recipe for confusion," he added.

A Royal Commission set up by ministers said the government should pay for basic care, regardless of who gave it.

High cost

Government figures, produced by comparing the average costs of care in residential homes and nursing homes, suggests that it would cost an extra £100 a week per resident.

On the Lib Dem estimates of between 100,000 and 125,000 care home residents benefiting, that would produce a weekly bill of up to £12.5 million.

However, Mr Burstow cited the Royal Commission estimate that the policy would cost just £1.2 million in the first year and accused ministers of exaggerating to prove a point.

His party's costings of the policy will not be provided until closer to the election, expected in May.

Fatal flaws

But Mr Burstow said: "The government's free nursing care plans are fatally flawed. They are based on little more than a `back of the fag packet' calculation."

The Lib Dem MP for Sutton and Cheam added: "Tony Blair said before the last general election that he did not want to live in a country where people were forced to sell their homes to pay for their care.

"Labour's rejection of the Royal Commission means the debt collector will still come calling on the frail and elderly in England and Wales."

The Liberal Democrats will tackle the government on what they term its failure on personal care in a debate in the House of Commons on Monday.