THE residents of a supported-living home in south London are an active bunch. All six own severe learning disabilities and are cared for by ten full-time staff from Mencap,a charity. Nevertheless, once a month they discuss their ambitions with their key worker. approximately a year ago, or one middle-aged client decided that she wanted to use public transport independently. Now she can catch the bus to a local café to own tea with a friend. Others are gardening at a local park or learning to cook. And their social workers occasionally throw them a party at a community corridor,inviting other clients from nearby homes. The shindigs own even sparked a few romances.
Such capers are not what most people imagine when they think of social care. A more common view is of an elderly person in a dilapidated-folks’ home, or receiving occasional home visits from a helper. Headlines warn that Britain’s ageing population is putting a strain on the service. The number of people of retirement age has risen by 2m in the past ten years. A government green paper on social-care...
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Source: economist.com