Who will care for the carers in our society beyond 2017?

Geriatrics and elderly careWho will care for the carers ?

According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), more of us are worrying about how we will be cared for when we are older. A growing number of us have taken on the  responsibility for the care of parents, but the IPPR sees a growing ‘family care gap’ developing as the number of older people in need of care  exceeds the number of family members able to provide it. This gap is expected to be apparent for the first time in 2017

The huge challenge is to meet the care needs of an ageing baby boomer generation.This could increasingly continue to fall on adult children and their partners, with women being seen as the main carers and most likely to have to give-up work to take on the care responsibilities. The IPPR draws out a number of key issues which demand a rethink of how we look after each other in later life. There is the refocusing of the respective roles of state and individuals, also the widening of the narrow  focus on physical and health needs to include those needs necessary  to lead a decent life in older age.
Whose responsibility is it anyway?
The state though holding a pivotal role has never been the main provider, in the post-war period, of care and support for the elderly. It is family support that has carried most of the weight for this, at an estimated annual value of £55billion.
As budgets for spending on elderly care continue to be severely constrained, a recent NHS survey reveals that few of us believe government has the right social care policies. Post-war society has changed rapidly as the baby boomer generation age. More people now live alone, and family members often live far apart for both social and economic reasons. Looking forward,the IPPR in its report, is seeking to highlight solutions that place greater value on mutual  support provided by resources working within families,neighbourhoods and community networks.
So finally what can be done?
In making its recommendations the IPPR,believes the post-war model of social care needs a fundamental rethink, as it does not meet the wants and needs of the elderly, nor does it it prepare society to deal with an ageing  population.
A core recommendation is
  • the building and development of new neighbourhood networks  designed to help older people stay active and healthy, and support families find the right work care life balance.

This would work with other recommendations for

  • better care-coordination and single point contact
  • giving power to older people, families and carers to buy services directly using a community based ‘shared budget’
  • stronger employment rights enabling carers to better able combine work and care.
You can read the full IPPR report here…

The Right Retirement Planning Tools Help You Make Informed Retirement Decisions


Figuring out how much money you will need to carry you through your retirement years can seem like a complex undertaking. However, using the right retirement planning tools to plan for your retirement will make the task a lot simpler and complete. The right tools will help you see how much money you’ll need to put away to meet your projected retirement date, how much your retirement nest egg will be worth at retirement and beyond, and how much net income you will need to sustain the lifestyle you want through your retirement years, so that you can feel confident about the informed decisions you need to make.

The various retirement planning tools will take the guess work out of calculating the money you need for your retirement. Accuracy in planning your retirement needs is important for managing your money today. Not putting enough money aside for your retirement means not having enough money to provide that lifestyle you want during your retirement years; putting to much money aside will cause financial hardship and cause you to stay in the workforce more years than necessary.

Fortunately, there are plenty of internet how-to guides, retirement advice blogs and calculators available at your finger tips that you can use to help you get an accurate assessment of how much money you need for your retirement and can help you decide where to direct your retirement funds in the most profitable direction, so there will meet your retirement goals when its time for you to retire.

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These online calculators will also provide important information about your 401K, IRA and Roth IRA plans, or other retirement savings plans.

There are a series of how-to guides that teach you how to plan a retirement savings plans portfolio to consider inflation and deflation of the market.

Other how-to guides such as how to avoid croaked or incompetent money managers and tips on how to know spot an honest financial planner from a fraudulent one are valuable tools for retirement planning tools that can make sure that your retirement portfolio is well funded when you reach your planned retirement date.

Some planning tools will allow you to do the calculations and save the information in a file so that you can go back to it from time to time and make any necessary adjustments to recalculate your projections. Many investment firms such as Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and Ameritrade provide online retirement planning tools to the general public. You don’t have to be a customer of the companies to use their planning tools.

There are many online retirement planning tools that require you to sign up as a member for free. But there are other tools that are only available to customers of the company offering the service.

With the right retirement planning tools you can make the right decisions today that will help you be happier and more financially secure when your retirement comes. It is important to remember to be flexible in your planning and make adjustments as circumstance in your life warrants.

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