Who is the consumer? The case for family members

Increasingly consumers of long-term care in England are expected to contribute to part or all of the costs of their care and plan ahead to meet those costs. They must make a choice between different providers of care, judging price and quality against their means. This is often in an environment where public and private provision of care and funding arrangements are complex, and information provision patchy. This article concludes that whilst the interests of the older person or service user are always quoted as being at the center of the planned care, at present, it is often the family of those in care who is the consumer.