The Cost of Care at Home

Father in Law wanted to end his days at home so 2 local ladies were paid to be with him on rotation during days, washing, cooking and general care, family took turns at night.

It worked very well, he had the money to pay the carers and he was happy in the final 2yrs.

If there is a rota of family carers that’s fine but if there is only you it becomes impossible even with much lower care needs than Derek Draper. Nobody, especially when elderly, can do 24 hour care for long. DH spent the last seven weeks of his life in a nursing home because home was no longer a safe place and I was absolutely exhausted. Not what either of us wanted, and I don’t think he forgave me, but there really was no alternative.

Like GrannyS I was forced to place my H in a care home for the last 5 months of his life.
He had Alzheimer’s, had had a major stroke and although we didn’t know it he had cancer.

He was 83 I was 81 and apart from carers once day I did it all myself.
He was not very mobile and incontinent.
The final straw , for me , came when I had been up 3 times in the night cleaning him up or trying to get him settled in bed and I was exhausted.
It broke my heart but I was unable to carry on.
The cost of home care was too much to even contemplate for me.
While I sympathise with KG £800,000 is surely far too much to expect the state to take on that cost.

It’s controversial to say this I know, but I think people who have very complex needs should not have their care costs at home met by the NHS. If money and staff were no object, it would be a different matter, but spending many hundreds of thousands of pounds and providing 24 hour nursing care for one person does take from other services because it is so much more expensive than care home provision, and therefore from a number of other patients, who would benefit just as much. I’d rather see the money spent in improving care home provision and quality of care.

Sorry, I should have said I don’t mean for palliative care, which is time limited, as I think people should be supported to die at home. I mean for people with long term, ongoing complex health needs.

I don’t think it is possible to get 24/7 care at home provided by the NHS or Social Services. My mother had carers 4 times a day and we had to pay towards the cost although the only money she had was her State Pension and Attendance Allowance. Palliative care consisted of the GP and District Nurse team at the end of the phone and a nurse from the palliative care team doing the night shift but only for the last few nights of her life.

I agree Casdon.

Casdon

It’s controversial to say this I know, but I think people who have very complex needs should not have their care costs at home met by the NHS. If money and staff were no object, it would be a different matter, but spending many hundreds of thousands of pounds and providing 24 hour nursing care for one person does take from other services because it is so much more expensive than care home provision, and therefore from a number of other patients, who would benefit just as much. I’d rather see the money spent in improving care home provision and quality of care.

I’d rather see the money spent in improving care home provision and quality of care.

Absolutely agree.

There is a dread of going into a care-home at the moment and it should not, and does not, have to be like this.

Care homes don't need to be 5-star luxury hotels, just clean and comfortable with enough well-trained staff to cater for the needs of the patients.

It really shouldn't be impossible to achieve this - if the will is there.

Correction re the Radio 5 phone in, it's now on from 10am this morning.

Imarocker

I don’t think it is possible to get 24/7 care at home provided by the NHS or Social Services. My mother had carers 4 times a day and we had to pay towards the cost although the only money she had was her State Pension and Attendance Allowance. Palliative care consisted of the GP and District Nurse team at the end of the phone and a nurse from the palliative care team doing the night shift but only for the last few nights of her life.

It is provided for some people with ongoing complex care needs V3A. I came across a number of such people at work, funded through Continuing Healthcare, often younger people who had sustained accidents. The circumstances are often heartbreaking for the patients and their families, and if wasn’t for the resource implications I have no doubt it’s the best for them in many cases, but there has to be a line somewhere.

In our case my DH qualified for Continuing Health care whilst still in hospital last year. My DH was only 62 when had his 2 strokes in January 2023 , many care homes wouldn't take him. You have to be 65 and over. During the almost six months in hospital his health deterated,sepsis 4 times.
After much begging and pleading he was allowed to come home June 2023 with CHC. This was considered palliative care though and l wasn't given a choice about the care. If l wanted him home it was carers 4 times a day and a live in carer. She as not able to work at night so l covered the night time.
I was truly grateful to get the care but as you can imagine it was hard to cope in a small two bedroom house.
My DH died 5 weeks later as he wished at home with me.