Publication of “Statistics on Community Care for Adults in NI 2017 - 2018”

Date published: 24 October 2018

The publication reports on activity data analysed by HSC Trust. It also includes trend analysis over the past five years.

Key Facts and Figures:

Key Findings

Contacts with HSC Trusts

• Between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018, 29,228 persons in the Elderly Care, Learning Disability and Physical & Sensory Disability POC’s were in contact with HSC Trusts.
• Over a third of the 29,228 contacts with HSC Trusts were by persons in the Elderly Care POC (36%), almost a third were by persons in the Physical & Sensory Disability (31%) POC and a third were by persons in the Learning Disability (33%) POC.
• Of those persons in contact with HSC Trusts whose age was known (29,228), 11,065 (38%) were aged 65 and over.

Care Packages in Effect

• At 30 June 2018, 11,781 residential and nursing home care packages were in effect, a decrease of <1% since 30 June 2017.
• Of the 11,781 care packages in effect, over two thirds (70%) were nursing home care packages and under one third (30%) were residential care packages.
• Over four fifths (81%) of care packages were in effect in the Elderly Care POC.
• The vast majority (92%) of residential and nursing home care packages were provided by the private sector. The voluntary and statutory sectors provided much smaller proportions of residential and nursing home care packages (both 4%).

^{Note: Contacts for Physically Disabled (General Classes) for Belfast have been imputed.}

Meals on Wheels Services

• At 31 March 2018, 1,575 persons were in receipt of meals on wheels services. This was 271 (15%) less than the number in receipt at the end of the previous year and 1,526 (49%) less than the number in receipt four years ago.
• Over nine in ten (92%) persons receiving a meals on wheels service were aged 65 and over. This comprised of 12% aged 65 - 74, 28% aged 75 - 84 and 52% aged 85 & over.

Residential & Nursing Accommodation

• At 30 June 2018, there were 4,263 residential beds available. This was a (19%) decrease from the number of residential beds available at 30 June 2017 (5,238).
• While Northern HSC Trust showed the largest decrease in available residential beds since 2016/17 (-395), Western HSC Trust showed proportionally the greatest drop in residential bed numbers (-30%).
• At 30 June 2018, there were 11,134 available nursing care beds. This was a small (4%) increase from the number of nursing care beds available at 30 June 2017 (10,700).

• Belfast HSC Trust showed the largest increase (149, 8%) in available nursing beds since 2016/17.

Day Care Registrations

• At 31 March 2018, 6,961 persons were registered at statutory day care facilities. This was 212 (3%) less than the number registered at the end of the previous year and 664 (9%) less than the number registered four years ago.
• Of those persons registered at statutory day care facilities whose age was known (6,304), three fifths (59%) were aged under 65 and two fifths (41%) were aged 65 and over.
• Of those persons registered at statutory day care facilities whose POC was known (6,863), almost half (44%) had a learning disability while a small proportion (3%) had no material disablement.

^{Note: Age breakdown figures for South Eastern HSC Trust Meals on Wheels have been imputed.}

^{Note: The decrease in residential beds may be partially attributed to the re-categorisation of residential/nursing beds previously classified as dual homes.}