Coping with care home fees

On Scotland the system is different.My Dad was in a care home , the personal care component is paid by the LA , the rest depends on income/savings unfortunately.My Dad got partial funding through LA and the cost was around £900 a month

In 1973 my late husbands grandma had to go into a nursing home as she had developed Dementia, she was 85 years of age. Her daughter my husband's mum was caring for her at home and had POA but she developed cancer and could no longer take care of her mum. She had to sell her mum's house to pay for her care.

When we used to visit her in the nursing home, she was always wearing someone else's clothes and the problems we had with the staff were terrible. Because my husband's mum was now dying of cancer my husband took over POA and reported the nursing home. The person that ran the home and some of the staff were sacked and another person took over the running of it. Everything was then perfect, because the new manager knew that my husband and I were keeping checks on everything, they looked after his grandma and she was happy. She lived three years after being admitted to the nursing home.

After all these years, things have not improved and unless you are watching out for your loved ones, then the people without relatives have to fend for themselves in many cases (not all I may add). That is why some relatives are hiding secret cameras so they can keep a check on their loved ones.

As long as I am able to look after myself I am happy but if the time ever comes that I need extra help, I will pay for at home care. But I dread going into a nursing home. I am in my mid 80's now.

If someone lives alone or with someone who has dementia I believe they can get a 25% reduction in council tax .
If you havnt done already, claim for AA. Any claim will be backdated to the date you first apply so if it takes a while you do not lose out.
Yes social care in this country is very expensive and the staff who do the work are paid a pittance and not valued enough for the important work they do.
Because we are living longer there is a need to look at this again but most if not all the care homes ( and children’s homes ) were sold off to private companies courtesy of the Thatcher government years ago so not straightforward to change now but something shoukd be done.
Suggest you contact Age UK or citizens Advice or even talk to social services to get answers.

Grantanow

Johnson claimed to have an oven-ready plan to fix social care. Another Tory porky. Get advice from AgeUK.

I know BJ said he had an oven ready plan for Brexit. To my knowledge he said very little about social care, much less that he had an oven ready plan for it.
We can’t just slot the words oven ready into anything we like, and attribute them to him.
Let’s not forget that Blair commissioned an expensive report on social cars and then rejected it’s suggestions.

money did used to come from central government for social care, it was all cut so local authorities have had to find the money
it is deliberate

I think that social care should be funded nationally but still administered locally. I.e all money should be ring-fenced.

When council tax payers are consulted about their ‘priorities’, road repairs always come first second and third.

Notaprettyface I certainly didn’t say any of this was an excuse, I said it was the reason why nothing got done.
The Lib Dems have fought hard on social care and I think people should bear that in mind before they are so free with their no one’s.

Johnson claimed to have an oven-ready plan to fix social care. Another Tory porky. Get advice from AgeUK.

Notjustaprettyface

It’s not a rant
I have been thinking exactly the same
Why does nobody do something about it ?
What is the matter with this country ?

I'm glad other people have had a postive experience of residential care. The bills were somewhere in the region of 1.2 K per week. I expect many of the staff were on minimum wage.
There was no basic human kindness shown to me whatsoever.

That’s not an excuse winterwhite or at least shouldn’t be
There is money , we saw this with covid when suddenly the government found the money to pay people for not working essentially
So if something isn’t right , it isn’t right and millions of people feel that way about social care
I don’t mind having to pay but not to that extent
It’s immoral , it’s wrong , it should be non profit making
Thatcher is long dead and buried so let’s reverse all this and start being fair

Why does no one do something about it? Because of the cost.
Many more people live into their 80s and 90s.
Tony Blair commissioned the excellent Dilnot report but rejected its findings for that reason. Insurance policies are unattractive because the premiums would be so high and people think it won’t happen to them.
And social care has never been a vote winner. Though in the
Lib Dem election manifesto.
Let’s hope the new government takes the essential first step of regulating the care home industry to new higher standards.

It’s not a rant
I have been thinking exactly the same
Why does nobody do something about it ?
What is the matter with this country ?

My husband was in a nursing home for the last 18 months of his life; he was funded by social services but he (or rather me, using his LPA) had to contribute from his pension income.
The care home and/or local authority cannot compel any relative to contribute to care costs. Refuse to provide any details of your income to those providing your husband’s care. If your home is jointly owned, they cannot force you to move out.
They can/will take all your husband’s state pension and half of any private pensions (you will be able to keep the other half) and then use his savings and investments until these hit the threshold. Savings held jointly will be assumed to be split 50/50, so half could be taken.
Age UK have a series of useful guides available online; there is also a telephone helpline. They were very helpful when my county council repeatedly tried to overcharge my husband, providing template letters by email and telling me about a chain of overseers of county councils if the matter wasn’t resolved by the letters (it was).
Good luck and stay strong.

When my mother was dying we turned the television on to very quiet, peaceful music for her. The staff were lovely, to both mum and us. I couldn’t fault the home or the staff, but it did cost a lot.

maddyone

At the end of the day, if a person has any money beyond the £23,000, or a house that they own, people have to pay. They can claim the higher rate of Attendance Allowance which helps a little, but if you have any capital, you have to pay.

You are quite correct maddyone. Its costs hundreds of thousands. They couldn't even switch off the TV in my mothers room when she was near the end.

Its a nightmare.

At the end of the day, if a person has any money beyond the £23,000, or a house that they own, people have to pay. They can claim the higher rate of Attendance Allowance which helps a little, but if you have any capital, you have to pay.

@Jaxjacky - I thought the £86,000 cap was made law in Oct last year but can see now that was changed and it's now planned for 2025. Keeping fingers crossed

Look at all the relevant fact sheets on Age UK - really helpful. There is a list here: www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fcs_guide_index.pdf

You can claim attendance allowance for your husband which will help a little.
You need to speak to a social worker from Adult Services, they will tell you what your rights are

Care provision and the NHS are not the same. Social care was once in the hands of LAs but Thatcher opened up the market to private providers.

It doesn't matter how much you 'paid in' but how much you can afford.

I'm just hoping for the best.

The 86k cap was due to be made law by October 2025, but that was the previous government.
My mums fees were about £450,000 over nearly ten years, paid from her estate, she died in 2019.

Care homes fees are exorbitant - my mum had to pay £1,200 per week for my dad (that was in E. Sussex) and on more than one occasion when she visited she found him fallen on the floor and nobody had noticed. I don't blame the carers - it's the owners who make a fortune out of Care Homes. The government should cap what can be charged per week. I know there is now a lifetime cap of £86,000 but what happens when you reach that cap.
Other European countries don't have fees anything like as high as we do in the UK.
Sorry for the rant
Definitely talk to Age UK

I think your husband will be entitled to Attendance Allowance once he starts paying which might make you eligible for Pension Credit and other benefits.

Contact Age Uk they will be able to give you help and advice.

I can’t help I’m afraid, because although my mother was in a care home, my father had already died, and so we were not in your position. Hopefully there’ll be someone along soon with direct experience of your situation. Sorry I can’t help but I didn’t want to scroll on by.