Cheshire East is urging elderly people who will be paying for their own care to consider their options carefully because many self-funders are running out of money due to soaring costs.

Cllr Lata Anderson (Wilmslow, Independent), asked at Monday's November 17 meeting of the adults and health committee: "If someone's care does go up and they are a self-funder, and then they just tell us, we just can't afford it, do we end up having to pick up the cost or do we look for cheaper accommodation?"

Helen Charlesworth-May, the council's executive director of adults, health and integration, said, depending on the circumstances, those residents could be moved somewhere cheaper or the family could top-up the costs.

Self-funders make up more than 50 per cent of the people who use social care in Cheshire East.

Cheshire East's executive director of adults, health and integration, Helen Charlesworth-May (Photo: CEC).

Councillors were told there had been an increase in the number running out of funds and seeking help from the council to pay for their care because fees have increased substantially over the past three years.

Mrs Charlesworth-May said: "When an individual comes to us saying that they are starting to run out of funds, or have run out of funds, we have to do an assessment to make sure the type of care they are purchasing for themselves is appropriate.

"We have observed people often see residential care as a first choice rather than a last choice and, as a result, they are commissioning their own care at a rate far beyond their needs.

"So, we have to do an assessment to make sure the care is appropriate to their needs.

"We then have to make a judgement about how that care is best provided.

"And, it is the sad case that, if the care that they are commissioning for themselves is beyond a rate that we believe offers best value, we would require one of two things – the individual can move to a place that offers better value for money, or their family can contribute a top-up that enables them to stay, above that rate we would normally pay."

Mrs Charlesworth-May added: "I would urge anybody to be really thoughtful about what they do, because the cost of care is very high and, although people may have a lot of money wrapped up in their house or their savings, etc, if you are paying significant sums of money every week, that doesn't take very long to run out."