04/07/06 -� Review of free personal care for the elderly reveals disparity between local authorities and confusion over what constitutes care.

A report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that there are increased demands for care at home, with a 10% rise in the overall number of local authority clients of 10% between 2002 and 2005. However, it also shows that local authorities’ spending differs widely from �8000 per client per year to �1,500. Funding is citied as a problem with some authorities overspending.

There is also confusion as to what aspects of care are free, particularly over hotel charges; the cost of living which does not include personal or nursing care. The issue of meal preparation is still a grey area for some and the report notes that local authorities would welcome a judicial decision.