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Scottish Community Care Statistics 2001

Private Nursing Homes

Information on private nursing homes registered with health boards is collected by the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS in Scotland. Much of the information shown in tables 1.21-1.25 is already published in Scottish Health Statistics. Some of the data included here have been revised since publication. For definitions on which the private nursing homes data are collected, please refer to the notes in annex A.

Private nursing homes are not designated for specific client groups in the same way as residential care homes. Client group and age is recorded for residents within homes. The number of residents can be analysed by client group, however the number of homes or beds cannot.

Tables 1.21-1.24 cover private nursing homes for all client groups - not just older people. They are included in this chapter because the majority of residents are older people but readers should be aware that other client groups are included in the figures. Around 8 per cent of residents are under 65 years of age.

Table 1.25 covers older people (aged 65+) resident in private nursing homes. There are also additional tables in chapters 2 to 5 which detail private nursing home residents broken down by client group. There are overlaps between these tables and table 1.25 in this chapter, as table 1.25 includes all residents aged 65 plus regardless of disability. To obtain the total number of residents over all client groups, readers should refer to tables 1.21-1.24 in this chapter rather than summing together the tables in each individual chapter.

Table 1.21: Private Nursing Homes ¹ as at 31 March, 1990-2001

Private Hospitals have been excluded for all years.

Source: ISD Scotland - ISD(S)34 Return

In general the number of nursing homes has increased steadily, peaking in 1998 at 517 homes. In 2001 there were 502 homes, with an average of 46 beds and 40 residents per home. The number of available beds and residents have increased at a fairly constant rate between 1995 and 1998, then decreased slightly in each year since 1999. The occupancy rate has increased steadily, from 80% in 1996 to 88% in 2001.

Table 1.22: Private Nursing Homes ¹ as at 31 March 2001

Private Hospitals have been excluded.

Source: ISD Scotland - ISD(S)34 Return

Table 1.22 shows the local authority breakdown of beds and residents and the percentage occupancy in private nursing homes in 2001. In Scotland there were 22,882 beds and 20,046 residents resulting in an occupancy rate of 88 per cent. Percentage occupancy ranged from 99 per cent in Eilean Siar to 66 per cent in Dumfries and Galloway.

At Scotland level there were 29 beds per 1,000 population aged 65 and over and 26 residents per 1,000 population. South Lanarkshire had the highest rate with 41 beds and 38 residents. Rates per thousand have been calculated for the 65 and above age group, however, it is worth noting that around 8 per cent of residents are under 65.

Table 1.23: Number of Admissions and Discharges in Private Nursing Homes ¹ year ending 31 March, 1995-2001

Private Hospitals have been excluded for all years.

Source: ISD Scotland - ISD(S)34 Return

Table 1.23 shows the number of long term and short term admissions to and discharges from private nursing homes in Scotland from 1995-2001. Both the number of admissions and discharges have increased steadily over time. In 2001, there were 20,531 admissions, 11,690 discharges and 8,065 deaths. In 1995 two-thirds of admissions were long term, but the ratio has changed and in 2000 and 2001 there was a slightly greater number of short-term admissions. In 2000 70 per cent of the short term admissions were respite admissions which dropped slightly to 65 per cent in 2001.

Table 1.24: Residents in Private Nursing Homes ¹ as at 31 March 2001

Private Hospitals have been excluded.
² In the 2001 census a large number of homes recorded care of frail elderly residents, previously classified under "Other health care needs", under the "Physical disabilities" category.

Source: ISD Scotland - ISD(S)34 Return

Table 1.24 gives an age and client group breakdown of residents in private nursing homes as at 31 March 2001. Ninety-two per cent of residents were 65 or over and 45 per cent were aged 85 or over.

Thirty-nine per cent of residents had dementia whilst only 2 per cent had alcohol or drug related problems, however, this varied widely between age group. For residents under 18, sixty-eight per cent had learning disabilities. Around one-third of residents aged between 18 and 64 were physically disabled. In the 65 and over age group, 20 per cent of the residents had other, non-specified, health care needs. Forty-two per cent of residents aged 65 and over suffer from dementia.

Table 1.25: Client Group of Residents in Private Nursing Homes ¹ March 2001

Private Hospitals have been excluded.

Source: ISD Scotland - ISD(S)34 Return

Table 1.25 presents the client group breakdown of residents aged 65 and over by local authority as at 31 March 2001.

There were 18,408 residents aged 65 and over in private nursing homes in Scotland with an average of 23 residents per 1,000 people aged 65 and over. South Lanarkshire had the highest rate of residents, 35 residents per 1,000 of the population aged 65 and over. Conversely, Dumfries & Galloway and Eilean Siar had 12 residents per 1,000 of the population aged 65 and over.

Around 20 per cent of the residents in Scotland had other unspecified health needs. People with dementia made up 42 per cent of the residents aged 65 and over and 32 per cent had physical disabilities. In East Lothian 70 per cent of the residents had dementia and in Inverclyde 60 per cent of the residents were physically disabled.

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