Health and social care sector have seen avalanche of changes in the last twenty years, this ranging from the NHS and Community Care Act (1990) to Personalization of Services (DH 2005). These signaled the formal assessment of care needs, provider/purchaser split, and cash for care frameworks. The reforms paved the way to identify individualized care packages appropriate to meet service users care needs either in their own home or in a residential care setting. Yet, older people and their informal caregivers have not been adequately served. Their plight have been highlighted by a number of authorities such as Twigg and Atkin (1994), Carers National Association (2001), Help the Aged (2002), Lewis (2004, 06) and Glendinning et al (2008).

The question now is would the "Big Society" replicate the "Third Way" approach or in what way would it deliver effective and adequate health and social care for older people. Both perspectives talks about partnership working between the state and users, collaboration of services between agencies, empowerment, choice and control. New Labour attempted to represent a new social democratic order – a different approach to government, in which, the state should not dominate, but steer not so much control to deliver public services.

The "Big Society" is about liberation – the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from elites in Whitehall to the man and woman on the street (Cameron 2010). However, the question is would the framework present difficulties for professional to deliver health and social care to older people and informal caregivers? It is now too early to express concerns.

 For further reading see my blog:http//changinglifeparadigm.blospot.com