Mother likely going into care home soon, what tasks should I be doing?

[User534]

My mother has Alzheimers, and is likely to need to go into a care home soon. She has viewed one she likes. She probably has enough savings to fund it for about 6 months, and the sale of her house should generate enough money to pay for maybe another 5 years. I and a sibling have LPA (health and financial). So far, we have not contacted the Local Authority at all. I'd like to make a list of all the tasks we should do before my mother goes into the care home. This is the list I have so far, what have I missed? I'd like to do all "due dilligence" tasks before we sign a contract with the care home.

1. Get health and financial power-of-attorney, both in paper and electronic form from Office of Public Guardian. DONE
2. Find a care home the relative likes? DONE
3. Inform the local authority that my relative is going into a care home soon, and after a few years they may run out of money and expect the local authority to fund their care? Does involving the local authority early reduce the risk of being overcharged by the care home?
4. Possibly pay for advice from my mother's existing solicitor?
5. Get a specialist solicitor to review the contract with the care home?
6. Possibly pay for advice from a financial adviser on how to arrange my mother's finances?
7. Arrange sale of house.
8. Contact relative's banks, pension providers, doctors etc to activate power of attorney with them.

 

[Kevinl]

Hello and welcome from me and it sound to me like you've covered most of not all of the bases. Do bear in mind that in the future funding rules could change and so could mum.
There is funded nursing care and continuing health care (FNC,CHC) that could come into play in the future if they're not available now, a diagnosis of itself isn't a qualifier but where medical needs kick in funding may become available, might be worth asking about, if not now then in the future. K

 

[canary]

If your mum agrees to moving into a care home and would be self-funded for at least a couple of years then you don't actually have to involve SS at all.

Has the care home assessed your mum to confirm that they can meet her needs?

 

[SAP]

Definitely register the LPA with banks etc as this will save time later and it can take a while to get sorted.
Once your mum is in her home and settled, get the house sale sorted so that she can continue to pay for her care once her savings run out .
Do you have worries about the home or contract? No need for solicitors if all is well.
If the house sale is going to create a large cash pot then getting financial advice may be a good idea. I actually made use of the 15 mins free consultation to consolidate my plans for my mums cash and it was 15 mins of the best advice I had been given to date.

 

[northumbrian_k]

I agree that there's no need to inform the Local Authority/Social Services. That can wait until and unless assets are nearing the threshold for Local Authority funding (likely to be some years hence).

 

[SMBeach]

I guess it depends which part of the U.K. you are in. Scotland local authority are required to assess the need for a care home as its preferred to care for a person for as long as possible at home. Because it’s cheaper I assume. But everyone who’s assessed as needing personal care or nursing care, will automatically get either personal care funding or nursing care funding.
If in England then I don’t think you need to contact social services at all.

 

[Rosettastone57]

My mother in law moved into full time care without any involvement from social services whatsoever. She was self-funding living in England, agreed to go and we never even informed them. Frankly my experience of social services was that they weren't interested in self funders

 

[StressedDaughter]

While waiting for your mother’s house to sell, you can contact the local council and arrange an exemption to council tax payments assuming the house is unoccupied.
Mum’s water company would also waive standing charges - not the other utilities though.
Look at current house insurance to see what unoccupied status is - often 30 or 60 days. Arrange specialist unoccupied insurance.
Apply for Attendance Allowance - it is needs based and not means tested and payable in a care home if self funding.
I did a cash flow of ins and outs to project forward likely shortfall. Fingers crossed we complete on Mums house this week!

 

[maisiecat]

Its definitely worth speaking to a specialist financial advisor when you sell the house as to how to maximise the assets. Lots of them will give a free half hour to talk you through your options ( I expect they make their money if you buy a product). Often Nursing homes also have financial advisors to help but I am sure it feels more comfortable to see someone independant.