How much does it cost for a carer for the elderly.

Hi Minigrandma. It is so sad and difficult when our independent minded loved ones start needing more help. I can't say how much carers will definitely cost. A friend of my mother's uses carers organised by the local authority and they cost £20 per hour. Another friend has a local lady who charges £12 per. She comes for an hour in the morning and the same at night. She helps with dressing and undressing. Makes scrambled eggs for breakfast and does a light sandwich tea. Mother's friend usually manages a ready made M and S meal at lunch time. I guess it depends on what type of care is needed.

As far as paying is concerned I would start by applying for Attendance allowance. There are two levels. The lower level is fifty something pounds a week and the upper level is about £85. Not much but it is a start in paying for some help. This allowance is not means tested. I don't know if people below a certain level of income would be entitled to anything else. Good luck it is not easy

If she has no savings at all then she does qualify for financial help from social services to meet her needs. Indeed she still qualifies for some help if she has savings up to £23,000. The value of her house (if she owns it) is ignored as long as she is living in it.

Social services will do a financial assessment and expect her to make some contribution from her pensions and other benefits. If they assess her needs, then they will make their own decision as to how much care they think she needs and will prefer to provide it through an agency that they choose. However she can still have their contribution even if she chooses a different more expensive agency as long as she pays the difference or top-up herself.

It might be worth ringing social services and asking them to do an assessment of her needs; and also CAB to check she is getting all the benefits she qualifies for - she may qualify for Attendance Allowance. You can also ring care agencies and ask their hourly charge, and also whether they work for SSD at their rate.

If she is registered blind and/or deaf she may well get an allowance from one of those agencies.

A friend of mine had a stairlift fitted for free by his local council but I have a feeling he has to pay for any repairs etc.

It is usually cheaper to find help privately because SS charge so much.

Hi minigrandma so sorry to hear of your predicament, I have an elderly mum that fell and broke her hip last year we had an enablement team for 6 weeks. After that she’s was deemed to be safe on her own,but I was told at the time if ever I felt she needed extra help in the future I could apply for careers to come in three times a day,this would be free of charge as she doesn’t have any savings or own her own home.
At the moment she is managing with a bit of help from me.She also has an alarm pendant, and she pays for a cleaner once a week, she’s able to do that now as we claimed for Attendance allowance for her which helps greatly and is not means tested so doesn’t affect her housing benefit or pension.
I hope this is of some help to you. Please look after yourself,it’s very difficult trying to balance your own needs and your mums. Good luck.

three times a day, this would be free of charge as she has no savings and doesn’t own her own home.

Sorry ignore the last paragraph don’t know what happens there.

I am shocked that they discharged her to home when she was unable to get upstairs to the bathroom etc. There is an emergency provision for up to 6 weeks care from the NHS for patients discharged from hospital. They could / should have provided the commode, visiting care, if needed, walking frame etc. Actually, was she an inpatient? Was she admitted or did she spend the day in A&E? If not admitted the NHS are not required to ensure a care package is in place.

If ongoing care is needed after the NHS 6 weeks, the process is as Luckygirls describes.

Subject to a Care Needs assessment she should be able to get up to 4 visits a day. Carers will help with washing and showering, providing a hot meal, getting dressed / ready for bed . Any toileting needs (e.g dealing with the commode).

This is in addition to Attendance Allowance.

Also check whether your Mum is entitled to Pension Credit.

It is tough. I had the same resistance from my Mum re care coming in, but she is very happy with her cheery carers now.

Start with Adult Services in your Mum's Local Authority.

Age Concern are brilliant at advising you of your Mum's rights to care etc - they put a lot on their web page, and in non-lockdown periods have well trained volunteers who visit and advise on everything you might be entitled to and discuss what might be helpful.

Yes she was an inpatient, and she has had physio therapy round to the house and the district nurse is coming in twice a week to dress the wound.

It was the district nurse that organised the care in the first instance.

Thank you for all your advice. It’s just so daunting, trying to sort it all out.

Can she shower etc without assistance?

They shouldn't be leaving you do do all this.

It is daunting but not as bad as it sounds once you get started: Financial Assessment
Care Needs Assessment.
Then Proposal for care provision.

Then you can check whether she would be eligible for Pension Credit - simple to find out eligibility of the Gov.Uk website.

Does she get PIP or any disability-based benefits?

It is worth getting into the system now in case you need to call upon more care in an emergency.

You have my sympathy - I spent most of last year including all my work holidays looking after my parents. They have a live-in carer now. We fought for a Direct Payment from the LA, and it mostly covers the cost.

@minigrandma Hi there, I think you are doing a brilliant job looking after your mum in really tough circumstances. I run a home care company so I know a bit about this and I'm really happy to share what I can. I set it up because I had such a tough time finding care for my mum so I know how hard this!

There are basically three sources of financial support.

1. Benefits from DWP: This will be attendance allowance or personal independence payment depending on how old your mum is. This is means tested usually.

2. Local council: As others have said, if your mum has less than £23,000 in savings, not including the value of her home if she owns it, then she should be eligible for some financial support but the council will need to assess and decide if they think she passes their needs test. And that can be tough!

3. The NHS: It sounds like your mum might have had some care from the NHS to help her get home. This is not means tested but is only short term.

I'd suggest the best thing is to apply for benefits from DWP and ask the council to conduct an assessment. This will take time though.

In the meantime, you might want to look for a home care company. A good one charges from £20 an hour.

It's really important to take care for yourself too! You are doing such a great job in such difficult circumstances! You should be entitled to an assessment from the council to get some support as well. In the meantime sending a big hug! xxxxx

I pay for my carers with Direct Payments. Carers are paid £9.07 per hour. My contribution is £40 a week, even though we have no savings.. Social Services and Continuing |Health Care pay for the rest.

Private carers are not allowed to be self employed in our authority.

Your mum definitely needs a care assessment from SS

I've just looked into this. "Helping Hands" is transparent fee wise - it's on their website. £21.99 an hour weekdays, £23.99 (I think, possibly 24.99) at weekends.
They also charge £3 ish a visit for travel costs/time which goes to the carers.

Helping Hands are brilliant, a real proffesional service, fully police checked, trained, and well organised. The cost was around £25 perhour including the carer's travel allowance.
Nothing was too much trouble for them, we also had deliveries from Wiltshire farm foods for frozen ready meals which Social services approved of as being Nutritionally balanced. The carer just took one out of the freezer as needed and poped it in the microwave whilst they got on with doing Dads personal care, a nice range to choose from too.

Thank you all for your sound advice.

Rachael thank you so much in particular, I am now in the process of trying to get an assessment for her from social services, it’s proving difficult under the current circumstances.

We don’t want to be owing money for her care if we can avoid it at all.

We have also been trying to get mobility aids for her but that’s not easy a commode has been on order now for over three weeks.

It’s not easy at all.

Minigrandma I was told that an initial assessment can be done over the phone. Please try calling social care service back and tell them you are exhausted and desperate.

Ask for the number of the person organising the commode and keep phoning them. A close friend of mine had this problem about a year ago but eventually did get help by calling again and again - eventually she got the name of an actual person she could contact.

Good luck!

I hope that if you are persistent now you will at least have time in due course to relax a bit. If it looks as though you are coping you may wait some time I fear. Please tell them how it is. They need to know.

My daughter who lives on her own has an alarm pendant that will contact a 24 hrs team if she falls. Its great, my daughter often falls, she can press the pendant for help but with the package she has this isn't necessary as the alarm will inform the team without her having to do anything.

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Contact Age Uk, I’m not sure if they have changed their name but they were very helpful with my mum.

Just a quick update, my mum has had her assessment and the amount of money they what her to pay is ridiculous for the service she is actually getting.

So it has been decided as I already do the majority of her care now I will do what the carer has been doing as well.

I just hope my children can find alternative child care as I looked after my grandchildren while parents were at work before lock down.

Minigrandma does your Mum own her own home? If not could she be able to move into sheltered housing?
If she owns her own home, could she take out equity to enable her to get the care she needs? Along with any pensions she has it could provide the funding she needs for carers.

Minnie.Thanks for the update. I don’t understand why your mum has to pay for carers if she has no savings ? My mum is in the same position and claims attendance allowance, and can have carers three times a day if she needs them., free .Maybe it depends where you live, someone might come along that knows. This is a massive undertaking on your behalf it’ll wear you down in no time and is not fair to you or your family. You need to look after yourself too.