Review Article

A Scoping Review of the Costs, Consequences, and Wider Impacts of Residential Care Home Closures in a UK Context

Table 5

Costs of care homes, £ prpw, 2008/09 and 2021/22.

Cost heads2008/092021/22

(A) Staff, including employers’ on-costs
Care assistant staff cost per resident (including activities)£144£206
Catering, cleaning, and laundry staff cost per resident£46£66
Management/admin/reception cost per resident£40£57
Agency staff allowance-care assistants£2£3
Training backfill£2£3
Total staff£234£335

(B) Repairs and maintenance
Maintenance capital expenditure£19£27
Repairs and maintenance (revenue costs)£11£16
Contract maintenance of equipment£3£4
Total repairs and maintenance£33£47

(C) Other non-staff current costs
Food£23£33
Utilities (gas, oil, electricity, water, telephone)£22£32
Handyperson and gardening (on contract)£7£10
Insurance£5£7
Medical supplies£3£4
Registration fees (including CRB checks)£3£4
Recruitment£2£3
Direct training expense net of grants and subsidies£2£3
Continence products£0£0
Other non-staff current expenses£6£9
Total non-staff current expenses£79£113

(D) Capital costs (12% return on capital)
Land£43£62
Building and equipment meeting physical NMS for new homes, extensions, and 1st registration since April 2002, including start-up losses£149£213
Total capital costs£192£275

“Ceiling” fair market price for homes meeting all standards for “new” in National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People, 2nd edition February 2003£538£771

Maximum capital cost adjustment factor for homes not meeting physical standards for “new” homes£74£106

Floor fair market price for homes which do not exceed the interim physical standards for “existing” homes in National Minimum Standards for Care Homes for Older People, 2nd edition February 2003£463£663

Source: Laing [17].