Going into a care home, how does it work?

[stockport1965]

My father is coming round to the idea of a care home. Mum is the PWD.
They need to go together in a large room and obviously be dementia specialised.
What is the procedure we follow?
Mum & Dad both get direct payments and currently Dad is having the Crisis Response Team visit at home after a stay in hospital.
Lets say the house is worth £100k, plus £10k each in savings.

Do we find somewhere and when the funds reach £23k each the Council help fund?
Do the Council find somewhere to avoid being moved twice?

Thanks for any help

 

[Beate]

Your Dad doesn't have dementia but wants to move into a dementia care home together with your mother? No LA will ever fund this, and even while self-funding it will be extremely difficult to find a home that can accommodate both in a big double bedroom and cater for both their needs. If you find one, don't expect the LA to just continue funding it. There will be needs assessments and financial assessments, and if there's a cheaper home that fulfils their needs, you can expect them to be moved or at least be separated.

 

[stockport1965]

Your Dad doesn't have dementia but wants to move into a dementia care home together with your mother? No LA will ever fund this, and even while self-funding it will be extremely difficult to find a home that can accommodate both in a big double bedroom and cater for both their needs. If you find one, don't expect the LA to just continue funding it. There will be needs assessments and financial assessments, and if there's a cheaper home that fulfils their needs, you can expect them to be moved or at least be separated.

IDad has heart/mobility and BP problems and wouldn't be able to live alone. We are awaiting another assessment for him as he now needs help dressing and on standing his BP drops very low and sometimes collapses.
I have "actually" found a care home that specialises in dementia but also takes in residents who require residential care. (In fact I have found 2 !!)

However from what you have said, it seems the best thing to do is speak to the LA and see what care homes they use. The law says that where the local authority is funding accommodation, it must allow a person entering residential care to choose which care home they would prefer, within reason.

Dad has just come out of respite care from their sister home

 

[Baby Bunty]

My mums home is dementia on one floor and residential on other..would double check weather its possible to room them togather..as i never heard of that. Unless its an old building and have twin rooms..but sounds like your dad is nursing care and mum is dementia care..ask for social worker involvement asap..and wish you luck on this journeyxx.

 

[Toony Oony]

Hi - at Mum's care home they have a lovely couple living together. The husband has Vascular Dem, he was vulnerable and at risk - his wife wouldn't/couldn't leave him on his own in care. They each have adjoining rooms, but they choose to both sleep in one, and use the other as a sitting room. They are devoted to each other and it is a lovely heart warming thing to see. I believe there was also a couple staying a while back for recuperation/respite. The home actually advertises that it will consider couples.
When I was viewing potential places for Mum I saw several nursing homes that accepted dementia patients - even if they did not need the 'nursing' element at that point. The care homes offering dementia care however, were quite upfront about their limitations regarding nursing care.
Hope you find an answer soon.

 

[Elle3]

My father is coming round to the idea of a care home. Mum is the PWD.
They need to go together in a large room and obviously be dementia specialised.
What is the procedure we follow?
Mum & Dad both get direct payments and currently Dad is having the Crisis Response Team visit at home after a stay in hospital.
Lets say the house is worth £100k, plus £10k each in savings.

Do we find somewhere and when the funds reach £23k each the Council help fund?
Do the Council find somewhere to avoid being moved twice?

Thanks for any help

If you haven’t already I think I would contact Social Services and get them to support and assist you. Whilst I was searching for a Care home for my dad I have seen a couple that supported couples with mixed needs, so definitely worth looking into. Good luck. Elle x

 

[Scriv]

My relative and husband are in the same care home - she is in Residential with care needs and he in the Dementia section. We had a look at another care home that offered a double room and a sitting room, but decided she was better having her own room so they wouldn't be disturbing each other in the night - as they were doing when at home. It works out really well, as the needs of each are met care wise and they have not been split up.
It is certainly worthwhile contacting your SW and exploring this possibility. I can't comment on the funding, as ours are self funding, but the SS were very helpful in exploring all options with us and telling us about the homes where they have couples.

 

[Dearie Me]

Like Scriv, my aunt and uncle were in different units of the one care home. Sadly my uncle died last year, but the home was able to cope with both of their changing needs for around 4 years. However there was not an option for a double room. In their case, my aunt had been in hospital for long periods during the two years prior to admission so not sharing a room was probably more normal for them.
However, going back many years, to a summer job I had around 1980, we had a couple then sharing a room in a local authority home, so it may still be possible.