Who will care?
With more of us living longer, the issue of care funding is an urgent one. Demographics are outpacing funding: with baby-boomers approaching old age, over the next twenty years the number of over-70 year olds will jump by 50% to nearly 10 million.
But the funding for providing care for this growing number of elderly is shrinking thanks to hefty cuts to local authority funding: by some estimates, social care budgets have lost nearly £2bn in the last 2 years, forcing councils to ration their care funding for only the very neediest.
North Norfolk has one of the country's highest proportions of over 70s.
In this edition of Inside Out (due to be screened on BBC1 on 15th October at 7.30pm) Ursula Errington goes on the rounds with homecare staff from one of the private companies that provide 80% of home care in the East.
They say they try to keep standards high but are dogged by problems of recruitment.
A care worker from another company tells us how 15 minute slots are allotted with no allowance for travel time; which is often simply not enough meaning clients can be left without proper care.
BBC Home Affairs Editor Mark Easton looks at some radical solutions to the problem.
The problem of funding elderly care is huge and will certainly place more demands on tax payers.
There are radical solutions that don't involve the state. One scheme being tried in Essex, places young people in houses with an older person needing care in return for reduced rent .
The Bishop Of Norwich
A chance to get a glimpse of a rarely seen world. The Rt Rev Graham James, AKA the Bishop of Norwich, is one of the front runners to become the next Archbishop of England.
But what does a Bishop actually do and what are the challenges facing the church in the 21st Century?
The film follows Bishop Graham during his punishing schedule across the East.
Inside Out
15th October 2012
7.30pm
BBC1
