Demand for adult social care is mounting in Redcar and Cleveland. The council faces strain amid a rising population and increasing costs.
In 2023/24, they spent £35.4 million on older adult care. This equaled £17,658 per person using the service, more than other Teesside areas. For comparison, the Teesside average was £16,581 per person.
The council received 4,185 support requests for those over 65. Hartlepool had 2,630 and Middlesbrough had 2,795. Stockton had more, with 4,980 requests. Additionally, new residential care admissions totaled 258, significantly exceeding the expected number of 170.
These figures were presented to a council committee, using data estimated from national statistics. Redcar and Cleveland has more older residents than Teesside as a whole.
Over 65s comprise 23.5% of their population, totaling 32,866 people, compared to Teesside’s average of 18.6%. Furthermore, the number of people over 75 continues to grow each year. In 2018, there were 13,647, rising to 15,930 by 2023.
The council manages demand for care and in 2023, 2,010 older adults received long-term support. Council members were warned about data reliance, emphasizing it’s a starting point, not a final assessment.
Many external factors impact adult care spending, including how efficiently services operate. Councils can add a tax for elderly care and a 2% rise is in a proposed 4.99% tax increase. Councillors will vote on it soon.
