102 young Northamptonshire people face future living in care homes

People with a learning disability and elderly parents may have to live in Northamptonshire care homes as their mums and dads struggle to cope.
Placing the people with learning disabilities in care homes would cost the authority 2.6m a year.Placing the people with learning disabilities in care homes would cost the authority 2.6m a year.
Placing the people with learning disabilities in care homes would cost the authority 2.6m a year.

That is the situation facing 102 people in the county- all of whom are below the pensionable age - over the next five years if money is not allocated for them to live independently.

It comes as figures show 13 per cent of people with LD live in residential care, higher than the 10 per cent target.

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A Northamptonshire County Council paper examining what can be done to avert the often inappropriate and costly measures says: "There will be 102 living with elderly parents who will need to move to accommodation & support over next five years as their parents will not be able to continue supporting them:

"If these individuals do not move then they will be placed in residential care

The cost of the care home placements is not known but is likely to be at least £500, costing the authority £2.6m a year.

The paper adds: "A move to supported living will be much lower and in some instances may be cost neutral, as customers will have existing care packages."

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Among the early measures taken have been one-to-one meetings with managers of group care homes and searching for potential land or buildings that could offer a “supported living environment”.

The county council is also in early discussions with borough and district council about raising the profile of the current and future housing needs of people with a learning disability.