Paying for carers - a question

The NHS will pay for Continuing Health Care when it is due to a medical need...if you can get it. Eighteen months down the line, we are still fighting for my Mum and the administrators of that fund will wriggle about accepting anything that will allow you to claim unless you are very near the end of life. We have fought them over their law breaking and won so far but there is still a long way to go especially as they will not assess whilst you are in hospital and as Mum's condition gets worse they insist that the whole process starts again. It is criminal!

In my sister's area, there were 8 people who got it without being at death's door but all of them were professional people who were able to fight for their rights. The average man in the street wouldn't stand a chance.

Have to pay £85+ per month for a Carer to help wash my hair as this is one thing I cannot do with Rheumatoid Arthritis affecting my shoulders, arms & hands. Apparently because I get DLA I have too much money coming in to get any help to pay even though my DLA helps with getting about & things to help me cope! Was told that I should not have catalogue payments or a credit card! Who on earth decides all this?

It is possible that the lady has been allocated what is called Intimediatory Care (I think that's how it's written). This is granted for 6 weeks at a cost to the NHS after which the patient needs to commence paying themselves, if that is their personal circumstances.
I know this from when my Mum was discharged from hospital.

www.healthandcare.co.uk/moving-handling/rotunda-transfer-platform.html

A rotunda!

I understand about paying for carers in the general way and getting them after a hospital stay. Neither of those things are relevant here - hence my question.

I agree with win. NHS CHC is definitely not guaranteed if you have cancer and is notoriously difficult to get.
Only eligible if the main aspects or majority part of the care you need is focused on and addressing or preventing health needs.
The first stage of assessment is to complete a Checklist. This is usually done by a health or social care professional.
In my experience they will do anything not to grant it because it is so expensive and not means tested.

win

I meant to ask, why would MacMillan have organised a rotunda? presuming you mean a Gazebo of some sort??

I think possible a rotating bit of gear like a lazy Susan but designed to be sat on to assist with transfers eg in and out of cars....def not a rotunda and probabaly not a gazebo

Theexwife

It probably comes from several budgets, the local council pays for social care and occupational therapy for equipment.

it must be very worrying for her with a sick husband too.

OT departments don't have equipment budgets. Stuff suppled through Macmillan can either come through the Council or the local NHS, it depends what the local contract says.

I meant to ask, why would MacMillan have organised a rotunda? presuming you mean a Gazebo of some sort??

Equipment is paid for by the NHS, domiciliary care is means tested. If you have more than £23.500 you become self funding anything less depends on savings. Any hospital treatment and Physio is paid for by the NHS as is anything else to do with the services carried out by the NHS. End of life care is different, that will often be funded depending on the circumstances. CHC funding is definitely not guaranteed with cancer, we are going through this at the moment with Palliative care and social care would still not be funded. CHC is very hard to obtain now despite believing you qualify this is often not so, but its can be done. I have done it twice previously.

Most with a cancer diagnosis , there's a high chance of gets NHs CHC funding....as cancer care is usually deemed a health care cost as opposed to a social care cost ( eg most dementia and alzheimers )

I was paying £22 pounds an hour for carers my husband has Alzhimers and I’d reached a point where I just couldn’t continue on my own.

I was then informed about Self Directed Support funded by my local authority not means tested.

My husband was accepted and we now have 24 hours a week care paid for my local authority.

It has saved my life and allowed my husband to remain at home.

We are in Scotland perhaps you have something similar where you are?

I had to pay for all care for my H after the 6 weeks and we had to change from the SS tea to a private provider.
Fortunately they were mostly good, only one I asked not to be sent again.
I had respite from them as well but that wasn’t satisfactory and was expensive.
My friend who broke her hip last year,surgery and quite a lengthy hospital stay, she is 86 had the re enablement team had it stopped after 3 weeks as she had family living nearby and others needs were more deserving!!

I have found that Macmillan, efficient as they are at organising support, don’t always make it clear. They are pathfinders, accessing support from other organisations rather than direct providers.

They actually do very little frontline, hands on stuff themselves.

Patients and Carers can be overwhelmed by what has happened and when somebody says I can get you this and this and this they say Oh thank you and don’t always hear the rest of the information. They might even have signed an agreement without realising quite what they were signing for and who with.

Don’t quite know how you can approach this though.

My husband had carers after Hospital stay , we were to be assessed in 6 weeks as to whether they were still needed , as he went off his feet it was obvious carers were needed , I was waiting for hip op .
Anyway we never heard any more about paying , he was reassessed on various occasions to facilitate change of hoists and these were changed as necessary
This was some time ago , but if they couple are so frail it might be deemed home carers are kept on , cheaper than a nursing home

That's my thought Lathyrus. I have mentioned it once and won't say anything more yet.

I'm not sure it will be funded at all.

As it’s been arranged through the Macmillan nurse, she needs to check out the exact arrangements with her. Some Macmillan services are funded by the NHS others through the Charity.

I don’t think she can be sure it’s NHS funded. It needs to be clarified with Macmillan.

As Tenko says the the first few weeks are free. After that assessment will be made. My mum has a small amount of savings, but not enough to be taken into consideration.
She doesn’t own her own home, and doesn’t pay rent, she claims Attendance allowance. She pays £550 a month for her carers they call four times a day.
I think they charge around £22 per hour .After assessment if it is decided they need help, they could apply for direct payments this is were you employ someone yourself, could be a relative or friend, or anyone they think suitable. They would be responsible for paying that person an hourly rate.

Possibly via the gp ?

She hasn't been in hospital - which is what has prompted my question.

If she’s been in hospital even for a short stay , she’ll have the reablement team coming for up to 6 weeks and for that she doesn’t have to pay . If she still needs carers , she and her husband will be assessed financially to see if she has to pay .
The equipment comes via the occupational therapy team , which she won’t have to pay for .
Physio can be on the nhs but there’s a wait . My DM has a private physio who comes to the house

It probably comes from several budgets, the local council pays for social care and occupational therapy for equipment.

it must be very worrying for her with a sick husband too.

Should say that the hospital referral is a phone call on 27th September.

They are going to organise a private physio.