Care Home & Funding

[ikram]

My husband has had dementia for over 12 years. I retired early from my civil service job, to look after him. I have not had any Carers come in. Just started taking him for Day Care 2/3 times a wk from last Sept as I hav had health problems and my Dr & social worker wanted me to have a break.
In April /May, this year his behaviour changed considerably. He hallucinates, talks about being beaten, attacked by 'he / they' men. He swears at these men but in the last few wks he has also started swearing at us. We have been married 43 years & I have never heard him / members of his family swear before. He dies that when we try to get him to stop him doing something or with hygiene issues. He was a quiet professional person, very polite and well liked by all his colleagues and clients.
In the last 4 wks he has started having violent episodes - social worker, Drs, emergcy services have been involved. A very hard decision but my 2 sons & I have finally come to the conclusion that he needs to go into a Home. It is a nightmare finding a home as I can't leave him to view one. Can't leave him with my sons either. Social carer says he needs an EMI / nursing care home. It's absolutely amazing how much homes charge, while the local authority funding is so low -despite having paid full National Insurance and Taxes ( PAYE ) for 46 years. I have also just discovered the 'top up' charges! He doesn't have much savings as he had a heart attack in 1985. Had v high chlestrol which never came down despite all the latest medication, so he thought he was not going to survive beyond 70 and early likely to carry on working. He paid extra Nat insce SERPS & stopped paying into a private pension, so that we could concentrate on paying off the mortgage instead, in case he dies while the boys are still young. My brain is so tired I can't think straight. So I was wondering if someone could help 1. Let me know from experience of a 'good caring' home in the Stockport area which does not have a large top up - so I can pay a visit with help from friends.
2. Should the full 'SERPS' element of the pension be taken into account by the local authority when calculating their contribution towards his care.
3. Shouldn't he qualify for Continuing Health Care now?
Any advice would be very much appreciated.

 

[Shedrech]

hello ikram
and welcome to TP
it can feel overwhelming trying to juggle all someone's care needs and then choosing a suitable care home when that time comes
here's a link to the main AS site and its listings of factsheets, as some have the info you need
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/info/20033/publications_and_factsheets/861/publications_and_factsheets_full_list
especially this on paying for carehttps://www.alzheimers.org.uk/download/downloads/id/2268/factsheet_paying_for_care_and_support_in_england.pdf

if your husband has savings over £23250 he will be self-funding ie pay all his care home fees himself (keeping the Attendance Allowance to put towards the fees) - below that the Local Authority at least part fund the fess - however, if the LA are involved your husband's state pension and half any occupational pension will be used (you have use of the other half of his personal pension) and Attendance Allowance will stop

your own finances are NOT taken into account in any financial assessment of your husband's monies - and the marital home is disregarded as long as his spouse, ie you, lives in the property so you need not worry about having to sell it

if your husband's savings are close to the £23250 limit, you do really need to involve the Local Authority Adult Services as if you choose a home for him that is well above their allocated fee you may be faced with moving him, or considering paying a top-up - the LA cannot require you to pay any top-up, so be wary of agreeing to this, as fees rise and it can be a financial burden - the LA have to offer your husband at least one home which they will fully fund, if his savings are low

I doubt that your husband will qualify for CHC funding - ask the Social Worker to go through the checklist to find out how this stands

members are not allowed (because of T&Cs) to recommend any care homes on the open forum
these sites may help
https://www.carehome.co.uk/care_search.cfm
https://www.cqc.org.uk/what-we-do/services-we-regulate/care-homes

somehow, find a way to visit any home you are considering - you don't need to make an appointment, just turn up; any well organised home will be able to show you round at any time (maybe on a first visit miss mealtimes as these do require staff to be busy) - be brutally honest with the manager of each home as to your husband's behaviour and needs as they need a full picture to assess whether they can provide the care he needs - maybe look for an EMI care home which can support those with dementia and challenging behaviour

I hope your husband's GP has ruled out there being any infection present eg UTI, as these can cause havoc to the system and massively increase confusion and agitation

hope that's given you some initial ideas
come back with any questions - someone here will have suggestions for you

best wishes

 

[Kevinl]

2. Should the full 'SERPS' element of the pension be taken into account by the local authority when calculating their contribution towards his care.
3. Shouldn't he qualify for Continuing Health Care now?
Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Hi Ikram, welcome to TP
Just on the 2 issues above, SERPS is State Earnings Related Pension Scheme so it's a state pension, my understanding is that only half of any private pensions are exempt (normally) so as SERPS isn't a private pension it's a state one then I can't see it not counting in a financial assessment.
There's a link below to the thread where CHC is being discussed, it's now quite long butt it will give you an idea of the situation. Basically it is rarely given as dementia care is seen as being a social need not a medical one so isn't a "healthcare" issue is the logic they use to refuse it.
K

https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?86059-CHC-(Continuing-Healthcare)-support-thread

 

[mad_geordie]

You have nothing to lose by asking for a CHC assessment, plus they can take place several times. They may concentrate on his needs due to the violent episodes. We have just been through this and narrowly missed it but been advised by the lady that did the assessment to go through it again in a few months.

There is an initial checklist that is completed 1st and depending on results of that if it goes to next stage. Alz society will be able to advise in more detail.

x x

 

[LizK]

My husband has been in a nursing home for 18 months. He is violent, incontinent and generally aggressive. He is on a sedative to allow the carers to give personal care and anti psychotic drugs to calm his agitation and violence. Before he was admitted to the nursing home, which specialises in Alzheimer's and dementia, he had assaulted me and pushed me to the ground twice. Despite 3 assessments, we have been refused funding although he has assaulted the carers many times and some of them are afraid to approach him. So far our bill is £82,200. He also worked 45years and I also worked for 39. He gets nursing care allowance and AA allowance at the higher rate but still our calendar month bill is £4749. There is no fairness in the current system. We both came from working class backgrounds, but were careful with money because we knew what it was like to go without. We both studied at night school for years to get a professional qualification and now we're being penalised for being thrifty and working hard all our lives. Do I feel bitter.... Yes I do.

Liz