CHC funding question

ceecee

Registered User
Sep 16, 2014
2
0
Hello everyone,

This is my first post here although I have been reading everyone else's for many months. I've been overwhelmed by the brave and loving carers and heartened by the support that so many people offer.

To introduce myself, my dad was diagnosed about three years ago but had been struggling for a long time previously. My mum died in 2009 and he struggled living alone. He moved to an assisted living apartment which was brilliant and then a residential care home which was also fabulous when his dementia got worse. He is now in a nursing home. I have two young children aged 4 and 6 and a job with no other family nearby so it has been difficult!

I have a question that I hope people will be able to offer some advice on...
My dad has recently moved to a nursing home following a five week stay in hospital. Before that he was in a residential home but the hospital assessed him as needing nursing care. He is not mobile, has prostate cancer, vascular dementia and alzheimers and numerous other issues such as lung disease and a heart complaint. I met with a discharge liaison nurse who completed a checklist with me to assess CHC funding which she said didn't meet the criteria. My dad is self funding and now pays £820 a week.
Basically I want to know your opinion on whether this should be appealed. From my limited knowledge, largely through TP, I think that it is very difficult to get this funding and when I googled it there seem to be many many solicitors who offer help to get this funding and often in retrospect. I suppose I am struggling with the fact that this is somehow 'wrong' ethically.

Does anyone have any experience with this? What are your views? Many thanks in anticipation x
 

Pete R

Registered User
Jul 26, 2014
2,036
0
Staffs
I suppose I am struggling with the fact that this is somehow 'wrong' ethically.
Hi Ceecee, got to agree with you there.:(

Whether it is worth appealing is really down to if you have the fight in you or you wish to go down the solicitor route. I have the forms to fill in to send back to one solicitor who review the paperwork for free and then tell you if you have any chance or not. They only get a "cut" if successful but they make it quite clear that even if you win there is a 3 month review with one a least every year after that and the funding can be withdrawn at any of those times.:(

There should have been a form completed called a DST and this would have scored your Dad's various levels in various categories. This is how CHC is decided. Do you think those scores should have higher?

This is not the case everywhere but in my area the funding is capped at £660 and the general top up rule is not allowed. (although there are ways round it).

Since the hospital recommended Nursing Care I take it your Dad will be receiving an FNC payment of £112/week which goes direct to the Nursing Home?

I wish you all well. :)