These standards will help ensure all older people in care homes across Scotland have a high quality of care

Liz Duncan, Help the Aged

The move was being welcomed by elderly groups and care providers, but both groups want additional resources made available to push through the changes.

The Regulation of Care Act, which comes into force in April next year, replaces laws on residential homes dating back to 1968 and laws on nursing homes from 1938.

The new standards include ensuring that the food elderly people are offered is varied and nutritious and that if people have special dietary or religious requirements these are taken into account.

They also stipulate that elderly people should be involved in establishing their own care plans.

Susan Deacon: "Life-enhancing choice"

Elderly people will have the right to privacy and property protected and be able to insist on living an independent life.

Care homes registering for the first time after next April will have to give all residents a choice of a single room on moving in, while existing care homes will have until 2007 to meet that requirement.

The distinction between residential and nursing homes will also be scrapped.

Ms Deacon announced details of the new standards at the Care Matters Conference in Edinburgh.

She said the regulatory body would use the new standards when inspecting care homes throughout Scotland.

The minister told delegates: "Moving into care should not mean that older people become isolated from their life-long friends, or that they cannot continue to enjoy outside interests or hobbies.

Single room

"Much of what we are launching today is common sense - standards which reflect the day-to-day needs and aspirations of our older people.

"They will help moving into a care home become a positive, life-enhancing choice."

The minister said she recognised that the new standards for accommodation would prove a challenge, particularly the stipulation on single rooms.

Nell McFadden, of Inverclyde Elderly Forum, said: "The difference these standards will make to older people's lives will be enormous.

"But it is not just the standards themselves, it will be the monitoring and keeping things above board at all times, which will go a long way.

There is concern about care costs

Liz Duncan, of Help the Aged Scotland, said: "These standards will help ensure all older people in care homes across Scotland have a high quality of care, and we are pleased older people themselves will be consulted on what services they receive."

Scottish Care, an umbrella group which represents 800 care homes across the country, has been generally supportive of the changes.

However, chairman and chief executive Joe Campbell has warned that the cost of meeting them will create casualties.

He said: "Care homes have not had their costs covered by the fees given to them by local councils.

"That's why care homes have been going out of business at the rate of about eight a month and that simply cannot be allowed to continue."

Mr Campbell said adapting old buildings to offer single en-suite rooms would be costly and reduce the number of rooms available to let.

He also warned that homeowners would find it difficult to borrow the money needed to make the changes.