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Care & carers

funding for care

(12 Posts)
MrsJamJam Fri 28-Sep-18 18:35:15

My mother (91 and with PD) has now decided that she wants to move to residential care which I am sure is a good decision. My siblings, with financial advice, and I believe that with the sale of her home and her pension she can fund this for about 7 years. While she not likely to outlive her money, if she does has anyone had experience of then getting the state to pick up the shortfall between her income and the care home cost?

Just like to have some ideas in mind if we have to cross this bridge in the future - I like to have a plan for all eventualities. I know there is lots of experience here on GN.

kittylester Fri 28-Sep-18 20:02:32

Have you established whether she will be entitled to any input from the NHS?

Do you gave social service involvement?

I suggest you look at the Ageuk website. They gave loads of useful jnfo. I imagine that the Parkinsons website will too. Someone will be along with more specific advice.

JudyJudy12 Fri 28-Sep-18 20:24:41

When personal funds get down to £23000 it will be funded by social services. I do not know what PD means but the residential care has to be appropriate, nursing home for medical care and EMI unit if she has dementia residential if she is generally well. To be funded from the start she would have to go into care from hospital.

callgirl1 Sun 28-Oct-18 01:14:27

My eldest daughter, who is severely disabled by rheumatoid arthritis, lives with me, but as I`m now 75, and not very fit or agile, things are becoming difficult. Another daughter recently looked into getting some care arranged for my daughter, in order to make things a little easier for me. We were under the impression that the £23,000 threshold applied to the one needing the care, and as my daughter only has a small amount of money, we thought we`d qualify, but have discovered that my money is also counted, so between us we have just over the £23,000, so it looks as if my daughter will be left penniless and me much poorer if we do go for care, and we have cost of living expenses to take into account as well.

kittylester Sun 28-Oct-18 07:09:15

Have you checked the exact position with CAB, callgirl. That doesn't seem right to me. If you were a married couple it would be based on the person needing the care. That would surely be the case as far as you and your daughter are concerned.

The £23,000 limit is not where the local authority steps in. As I understand it, that is the point where a financial assessment is made.

callgirl, are you classed as your daughter's carer. Have you had a Carer's assessment and a benefits check for both of you?

M0nica Sun 28-Oct-18 08:40:03

Callgirl they cannot take into account the value of your house if you are living in it and can only take into account savings your daughter has in her name or in a joint account with her name on.

Here is a reference to the Age UK Fact sheets. Several refer funding www.ageuk.org.uk/services/information-advice/guides-and-factsheets/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI36iK092o3gIV77XtCh1cEQBQEAAYASAAEgJOgfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Better still, go into your loal Age UK and discuss your position with them.

annsixty Sun 28-Oct-18 08:50:50

Does this still apply when the person is not of pension age ?
Is just being on benefit the criteria?

kittylester Sun 28-Oct-18 08:55:16

Don't go to Ageuk. Try ringing them. There are not necessarily advisers available all the time or at all venues. Ring and ask to talk to someone. Or, make an appointment with CAB - round here they will do phone appointments as well as physical ones.

And get a benefits check for both of you.

annsixty Sun 28-Oct-18 09:07:26

I spoke to Age UK by phone on the national number.
They were very, very helpful and will send all the appropriate leaflets out to you.

callgirl1 Sun 28-Oct-18 18:44:17

It was Age UK that Rena spoke to. I`m not officially classed as a carer, don`t get a carers allowance, but I keep saying to the family, I`m not really a carer because I can`t do that much anymore, I think I need a carer as well! It`s like the blind leading the flipping blind here, lol!

kittylester Sun 28-Oct-18 19:56:04

If you are retired you are better off not having Carer's allowance but it is worth registering as a carer as you are entitled to somethings as a carer. Please actually talk to Ageuk!

annsixty Sun 28-Oct-18 20:29:51

I don't think that over 65 ,if drawing a pension you can have carers allowance.
Do you have AA for your D?
It is a minefield, I pay for morning shower calls at a reduced rate because I came to them through Social services.
I was urged by the SW to fill in an Assessment form, I didn't do it for about 5 months when I needed more help.
I sent the forms off on July 24th.
I never heard anything or got an acknowledgement so I told a duty SW when I was enquiring about another matter and he said he would pursue it.
That afternoon I had a phone call from the Finance dept to say it had been allocated an officer to deal with it that day!!!
Lost ,forgotten, whatever, it would take a week to be dealt with.
That was September 20th.
No further news, I have told the new SW all this and asked her to sort it.
Nothing so far.
I want to bang my head against a wall.
If I cannot get any reduction in what I pay, I just want to be told.
The situation is compounded by my needing full time care for my H and I want the financial side clarifying before that time comes.