The role of social capital in accessing self-funded social care

Background: Social care in England is means tested and many older people fund their own care. This presentation draws on evidence from two studies of the ways self-funders access care. Objectives: Both studies had a remit to better understand the barriers and facilitators to self-funded social care for older people, producing rich data about the resources they draw upon, who helps and how. Methods: 67 qualitative interviews with people living with dementia and/or a main supporter conducted as part of DETERMIND (https://www.york.ac.uk/business-society/research/spru/projects/determind-determinants-of-quality-of-life/) 37 qualitative interviews with older self-funders and/or their supporters conducted for PRESENCE (https://www.york.ac.uk/business-society/research/spru/projects/self-funders-navigating-community-social-care/) Key findings: Thematic analysis suggests that people who need to fund their own care, or arrange care for a self-funding family member, receive minimal support from statutory services, leaving them to draw heavily upon their own knowledge, skills and experience and the knowledge, skills and experience of their social contacts. We suggest thinking of this combined cultural and social capital as ‘navigation capital’. Those who lack navigation capital describe struggling to access the range of services that should be available to them, and some describe reaching crisis before care is secured. Implications: Older self-funders (and/or their family carers) who have low navigation capital may need more support from statutory services to access and make the most of social care. Discussion: Self-funders draw on the knowledge, skills and experience of social contacts to access the care they need – is this a form of social capital (and if so what type)? Is ‘navigation capital’ a helpful concept?