Dear all,
My mum does not qualify for Continuing Care, isn't in a Nursing Home or even an EMI Unit, so some of you are clearly in a different position to us. As my MP (kind soul, really concerned about my case) told me, I am very lucky to only have to be paying "hotel costs!!! He was also misguided about top-up fees, implying that we were foolish to sell mum's house (the government has been so good in abolishing that rule, he told me), as we could have kept it, keeping mum's capital below the threshold, having her paid for in a care home, and us topping up the fees from the rental income. When I pointed out to him that top-up fees are not allowed to be paid for by the resident he stopped corresponding with me! Anyway, mum's house was a little terrace in need of much internal modernisation and expenditure on furniture and appliances to make it rentable, and would bring in about £400 a month before tax and expenses. Net about £250. Given that we would have to pay the top-up fees of £100 a week (perhaps less) and would not be able to touch her £250 a month, it wasn't on. The £250 a month would gradually build up to put her above the limit for LA fees anyway. And being self-funding she is able to claim Attendance Allowance and a higher rate of pension credit - it all helps.
Helena, mum's property sold for only £130,000, so together with her modest savings IHT is not an issue for us.
Jennifer, oh dear, I was being sarcastic about getting rid of mum's money as quickly as possible. I bet some people do it! If I had intended that I wouldn't have spent £55,000 on a Care Fees Plan, which if mum dies within 2.5 years will result in almost half her estate being "wasted", but if she lives more than 6 years (and has no illness which indicates she might not), the bulk of her care fees will be covered by the Plan. It gives us peace of mind, so we have risked it. I was not advocating that people should deliberately deplete their relatives resources unnecessarily, but it is back to the "why scrimp and save?" issue. Today I told mum I had booked the chiropodist for every visit (learnt that the chiropodist comes every six weeks but only sees 6 residents at a time. Given there are 24 residents, that means mum's toe nails cut one every 6 months). "Ooh, I can't afford that" she said, and I thought "Sod it,it will be paid for".
Being self-funded, mum does get attendance allowance and a higher rate of pension credit (which I never knew about), so even on a modest capital of about £140,000 after the sale of her house, I am pretty confident we can support her for quite a long time. And if my MP is right that mum only ever has to pay for "hotel costs" (I think he is forgetting the 24-hour surveillance, the time spent in social interaction between carers and resident, the bottom wiping, the administration of drugs - I've never had any of that in a hotel!), then if she goes into an EMI unit or nursing home, it shouldn't cost us any more. Wishful thinking?
I seem to have worried quite a few people by suggesting that when their self-funding money runs out they will have to move their relatives. I apologise if I have raised issues which might not apply universally. I was just a bit "on my high horse", feeling cross about it all. I am sure there are lots of homes who would not ask a resident to move from the home or even move rooms, and would accept lower fees. Indeed, we visited one when looking for mum's home, a lady aged 105, clearly in her last few weeks of life, the proprietor told us the lady had been with her for 15 years and she was "keeping her" whatever it took, and wasn't moving her to another room. I thought that was very compassionate, but it was not a home we would have chosen for my mum at the time. The care home where mum is had a situation just before we made our initial visit, where the resident or his family had been unable to pay the fees and had moved him elswhere without any consultation, and the manager said "I wish they had told me, I could have worked something out". Yes, it might be a cheaper room, and we saw a couple of cheaper rooms and didn't like them, but I am coming to realise that if the resident is able, they spend little time in their rooms anyway, they are in the communal areas from about 7.30 a.m. till about 8.30 p.m. And sometimes a small room is cosier than a large one. There is a lady in a very small room in mum's home, and it is full of personal stuff, cuddly toys, photos, and is actually very homely. Mum is in a double room, so we are paying premium for that cos I thought she might use it as a sitting room, but she is never in it, except at night - and it looks so empty. And even then, she is wandering about at night! I thought she might like some furniture from home, but her response was "I'm not using my own furniture, at these prices I will use theirs!". I don't think the room is as important as the staff and the general care. And if they are at the top of the house it doesn't matter so long as they are secure and monitored up there in the night. Mum does like the fact that she can toddle off to her own room not far from the lounge when she wants to, I think you have to consider each person individually.
I would suggest that when your relative is approaching the stage of not being self-funding, you discuss the situation with the manager (and of course Social Services, who will then want to get involved), and plan accordingly. Yes, several people have rightly said that a lot of care homes rely on the "block booking" by social services and have to offer them lower fees to keep a regular income coming in.
Hmm, things have been said about the difference between a charity-run home, a private home, and one owned by a larger corporate organisation. Mum's is the latter. Yes, the home is under the control of the organisation but the manager appears to have some autonomy on how it is run. One thing she is stuck on is the lift. It keeps breaking down, and the maintenance man is there almost every week. The staff do their best when it breaks down. But there are no plans to replace it. She is furious. She asked me to write to Head Office, which I will. They have spent a lot of money recently on refurbishing the dining room completely, decorating the lounge and hall, and fine. But a reliable lift is more important.
We did look at a charity-run home, Salvation Army, but it was far too posh for mum. Tassles everywhere, even on the drawer knobs, they'd never have accepted my mum's laddered tights, about which she doesn't give a hoot. And twice the price of mum's home. Heck, mum is a working class ex-factory girl, she doesn't know what tassles are for.
Anyway, I am not noted for my short emails, and this is a short one!
Sorry if I have unduly worried people, I was getting worked up about the apparent lack of support from Social Services and getting cross about everything else while I was at it.
I am sure there is a solution to everyone's problem. Hope you all find it.
Much love
Margaret