Care home census for adults in Scotland
Statistics for 2011 to 2021 (Part 1)

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides information from the annual Care Home Census for Adults in Scotland on the numbers of care homes, registered places, residents, admissions and discharges.  Data are presented at Scotland and at Local Authority level, and cover the period from 2010/11 to 2020/21, excluding the year 2019/20.

In order to avoid placing an additional administrative effort on care home managers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, no request was made to care homes last year in respect of a Care Home Census for 2019/20.

This release covers Part 1 of the Care Home Census only. Part 2 will be published on 14 December 2021, which will include a full report for Parts 1 and 2.

Main points

All care homes for adults: 31 March 2021 compared to 31 March 2011

• At 31 March 2021, there were 1,069 care homes for adults and 40,632 registered places – 20% and 5% fewer, respectively, compared with 31 March 2011.
• At 31 March 2021, there were an estimated 33,353 residents aged 18 years and over in care homes – 11% fewer than 31 March 2011 (37,511).
• The estimated percentage occupancy at 31 March 2021 was 82%, compared with 88% on 31 March 2011.
• On 31 March 2021, residents in care homes for older people accounted for 91% of residents in all care homes for adults (30,502 out of 33,353).

Between 31 March 2011 and 31 March 2021, the number of care homes for adults in Scotland decreased by 20%, the number of registered places by 5%, and the estimated number of residents by 11%. The estimated percentage occupancy decreased by 6 percentage points, from 88% to 82%.

Close

Care homes for older people (65 years and over):

• At 31 March 2021, there were an estimated 29,317 long stay residents in care homes for older people – a reduction of 10% since 31 March 2011 (32,545).
• Most care home provision is delivered by the private sector. The estimated number of residents in private sector care homes for older people decreased by 1,264 (5%) between 31 March 2011 and 31 March 2021.  Over the same time period, the estimated number of residents decreased by 610 (19%) in the voluntary and not for profit sector, and by 1,269 (29%) in the Local Authority/Health Board sector.
• The estimated number of long stay admissions to care homes for older people increased slightly (2%) in 2020/21, compared to 2018/19. For short stay and respite admissions, numbers declined sharply over the same time period by 20% and 68%, respectively.

Background

The Care Home Census includes all care homes for adults aged 18 years and over in Scotland, including care homes for older people (65 years and over) and for those with learning disabilities, mental health problems, physical and sensory impairment, acquired brain injury, alcohol and drug problems, and blood borne virus (such as HIV/AIDS).

The underlying data have been provided directly by care homes via the Care Inspectorate’s online eForms system.  All care homes are asked to participate in the annual Care Home Census.  Of the 1,069 care homes for adults open on 31 March 2021, there were 719 (67%) care homes that submitted data for at least part of the Census and 350 (33%) care homes that did not submit any data.  Census data not submitted by care homes are estimated by PHS using methodology described in the supplementary Data Quality and Completeness Report.

Further information

An updated release for this publication will be published 14 December 2021.

Please note that open data for the 2021 publication will also be released on 14 December 2021, along with part two data.