That is a 14% rise from the previous year.
As of August 4th, an additional 3,264 people had been assessed but were waiting for a care package, a 2% increase from last year.
In total, that means an estimated 10,702 Scots are unable to receive the at-home care they require.
The wait for a at-home care package can be long and agonising. (Image: PA) Free personal and nursing care is available to everyone — as long as they have been deemed eligible by their local authority.
As such, securing a social care assessment is a key step in getting people out of hospital and back to their homes.
The report, published on Tuesday, explains: “Local Authorities provide social care services to enable people to live independently with control, freedom, choice, and dignity at home or in a homely setting in their community. This includes people who are frail, have long term conditions or disabilities.
“Packages of care at home ensures support with personal care (for example personal hygiene, continence management, simple treatments) and support with other tasks around the house (for example cleaning or meal preparation).
At-home care packages, which are set up by health and social care partnerships, are delivered by council staff, independent workers, and charities.
The Herald exclusively revealed that 6,500 people were waiting for social care assessments back in March.
Now, that number has risen to more than 7,400; an increase of 14%.
In March, Scottish Conservative public health spokesperson Brian Whittle MSP blamed the SNP for the social care crisis, noting: “These worsening figures are the latest in a long line of damning statistics.
“Thousands of Scotland’s most vulnerable people have been left stranded in limbo, unable to access the support they need to live independently and with dignity.
“There is no long-term solution to delayed discharge and growing NHS waiting lists that doesn’t address the crisis in social care.”
Read more:
‘It is apocalyptic’: Plea to Swinney as Scotland’s entire care service faces collapse
More than 6,500 people waiting for social care assessment in Scotland
FMQs Live: Swinney pushed on social care and beleaguered health minister
Scottish Labour MSP Jackie Baillie added: “The SNP’s failure to tackle the social care crisis has left hospitals bursting at the seams while those who could go home are left in limbo.”
At the time, a Scottish Government spokesperson said: “It is the responsibility of local authorities to provide care assessments as quickly as possible to meet the needs of individuals.
“The Scottish Government understands the pressures faced by local authorities that is why we have invested almost £2.2 billion to support social care and integration.”
But just last week, 240 lifeline charities told The Herald that the social care sector was on the brink of “collapse” due to underfunding.
A letter sent to First Minister John Swinney read: “Our organisations face increasing levels of demand which simply cannot be met within available public funds. Services and support are facing severe funding cuts.
“Many organisations are scaling back services significantly; others are looking at the possibility of closure. The sector, and the people it supports, have been pushed to breaking point.”