Insurance for possessions in care home

QueenofSwords

Registered User
Jun 8, 2015
5
0
N.Ireland
Hi - I am a long-time lurker on Talking Point - finally joined today. I was just wondering if anyone has any information about how to insure items in a care home. My Mum (who has Alzheimers) has been in a home for a couple of months and has some items of jewellery that she won't relinquish and which I don't really want to take from her. The items are good pieces of jewellery and she wears them all the time, but obviously I am worried if they go missing or get mislaid. Her home contents insurance won't cover them - have been through all of that to get the house insurance changed to unoccupied. The care home (who are lovely) can't help either. I have done a quick internet search, but can't seem to find anything relevant. :confused:

Has anyone had this problem before? If so, how did you sort it and is there any insurance company you know would provide cover - and that you would recommend?
 

loveahug

Registered User
Nov 28, 2012
1,071
0
Moved to Leicester
On the contract with mum's care home we had to put in a total value of her possessions. The home will then insure her possessions up to an individual item value of £150 but no more as items do get pilfered by the residents. A search usually turns up missing items but we all know the stories about items being wrapped in tissues and then hidden, binned or flushed down the toilet so really valuable items are not a good idea. Mum's wedding and engagement rings won't come off now so we know they are probably safe. Her watch has been replaced with a cheap lookalike and a box of her costume jewellery keeps her content with stuff to drape round her neck and the odd brooch on her cardi. The valuable stuff is in our safe at home until such time as she runs out of money and we have to sell it :(
 

tre

Registered User
Sep 23, 2008
1,352
0
Herts
When I worked in insurance it was not possible to find a policy just covering jewellery. Some high net worth insurers would offer an add on for parents possessions in residential care but there was nothing I knew of for normal people. Currently a company called Assetsure is offering stand alone jewellery policies but I do not know whether they would offer this to someone in residential care. It might be worth a call to ask but I would not be surprised if the answer was no as the risk of loss is greater.
My mum lost her watch, engagement and wedding rings but not in a care home but whilst she was at home being cared for by my dad. We reckon she probably got irritated with them whilst removing them as she wore the rings on a chain around her neck, broke the chain and threw the lot in the bin. The watch she could no longer read and when dad asked where it was she said she had thrown it away as it was broken.
Good luck with finding an insurer.
Tre
 

QueenofSwords

Registered User
Jun 8, 2015
5
0
N.Ireland
Thanks for your replies - having checked around it does seem as if it is not possible to get insurance cover for this sort of thing, so will just have to keep my fingers crossed.