Care home census for adults in Scotland
Statistics for 2012 – 2022

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) provides information from the annual Care Home Census for Adults in Scotland on the number of care homes, registered places, residents, admissions and discharges.  Data are presented at Scotland and at Local Authority level, and cover the period from 2011/12 to 2021/22, excluding the year 2019/20 when the Care Home Census was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main points

All care homes for adults in Scotland: 31 March 2022 compared with 31 March 2012

• On 31 March 2022, there were 1,051 care homes for adults and 40,579 registered places – 20% and 5% fewer, respectively, compared with 31 March 2012.
• On 31 March 2022, there were an estimated 33,352 residents aged 18 years and over in care homes – 11% fewer than 31 March 2012 (37,335).
• The estimated percentage occupancy on 31 March 2022 was 82%, compared with 87% on 31 March 2012.
• On 31 March 2022, residents in care homes for older people accounted for 92% of residents in all care homes for adults (30,552 out of 33,352).

The figure is an infographic. It shows that, from 31 March 2012 to 31 March 2022, the number of care homes in Scotland decreased by 20%, the number of registered places decreased by 5%, the estimated number of residents decreased by 11%, and the estimated percentage occupancy decreased by 5 percentage points.

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Care homes for older people (65 years and over) in Scotland

• 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 1,167 (4%) between 31 March 2012 and 31 March 2022.  Over the same time period, the estimated number of residents decreased by 868 (27%) in the voluntary or not for profit sector, and by 1,049 (25%) in the Local Authority/Health Board sector.
• On 31 March 2022, there were an estimated 29,465 long stay residents in care homes for older people. Of these, an estimated 18,405 (62%) had dementia (either medically or non-medically diagnosed).
• The estimated number of admissions for long stay residents to care homes for older people increased by 15% in 2021/22, compared to 2011/12. Over the same period, the estimated number of admissions for respite residents decreased by 74%.  This decrease is particularly noticeable during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a 13% reduction from 2011/12 to 2018/19 and a 70% reduction from 2018/19 to 2021/22.

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, alcohol and drug misuse, 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 invited to participate in the annual Care Home Census.  Of the 1,051 care homes for adults open on 31 March 2022, there were 737 (70%) care homes that submitted data for at least part of the Census and 314 (30%) 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.