The UK already has an ageing population; over 11 million people are at pensionable age or above and 1.2 million are over the age of 85, a figure expected to quadruple by 2051. So the future for the caring professions will also have to grow as the years develop with more people needing help with their daily living. While approximately half a million receive care at home, being helped by friends, relatives and carers, for many, care homes are the answer with some providing purely residential care and others providing nursing. Current figures suggest there are 262,826 places in residential care homes and 178,888 in nursing homes.

There are several different types of care for the elderly and one size does not fit all, but the government are looking at new proposals for care home funding which will hopefully improve general standards of care.

For those interested in arranging care, the first step is for the local authority's Social Services department to make a formal Needs Assessment together with the local NHS primary care trust. This takes place in the person's own home or at hospital if they are about to be discharged.