The impact of personal budgets and Direct Payments on older people

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26380802
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social welfare and social work studies
• Research Institution: Doshisha University
• Principal Investigator: YU NAGATA 同志社大学, 社会学部, 教授 (90339599)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 規制された現金給付 / ダイレクトペイメント / 個人予算 / 介護保険

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lessons from the implementation of direct payments for older people in the UK showed that firstly older people were more likely to enter the social care system at a time of crisis, when older people themselves had less energy or capacity for detailed support planning. Secondly, the social workers who were preoccupied with safeguards, and complex cases, could not provide enough support for the older people. Thirdly, in moving away from the enforced collectivities of public services there is a risk of individual support solutions fostering enforced individualism and isolation. In addition, the financial crisis has brought about an austerity programme that has drastically reduce the funds available to respond to care needs. Whilst in many ways the ideas behind personalisation are progressive, the implementation of these ideas in a time of budget cuts may have limited their ability to have a positive impact.

Free Research Field

社会福祉学