I'm sitting here looking at a spreadsheet that I've just compiled. I'm trying to work out if Mum (PWD) has enough money to self-fund in a decent care home near me. She has got to the point of admitting that she can't cope with living alone any more. (She was in denial, hence my username, but we've moved on since then.)
I've worked out that she could afford about 10 years in this care home before her money runs out, so she's luckier than most. This does depend on a lot of unknowns, however. I don't know what the fees will be in 10 years' time, if she's still around. My spreadsheet assumes that last year's increase (6%, eek!) will be repeated every year.
I also don't know what her pension income will do over that period, so I've made a conservative guess (2.5%, which is the state pension's triple-lock minimum). What I do know is that any level-benefit annuity that she buys today will look like peanuts in ten years' time, and she probably can't afford an escalating one.
My feeling is that she should go for the good care home and the affordable annuity, and if things get sticky later on she will have to move to a cheaper home. At least she will have the benefit of a nice home in the early years while she can still appreciate it. I hate to think what the future holds but with any luck she won't know what's going on.
Anybody else here in the same boat?
I've worked out that she could afford about 10 years in this care home before her money runs out, so she's luckier than most. This does depend on a lot of unknowns, however. I don't know what the fees will be in 10 years' time, if she's still around. My spreadsheet assumes that last year's increase (6%, eek!) will be repeated every year.
I also don't know what her pension income will do over that period, so I've made a conservative guess (2.5%, which is the state pension's triple-lock minimum). What I do know is that any level-benefit annuity that she buys today will look like peanuts in ten years' time, and she probably can't afford an escalating one.
My feeling is that she should go for the good care home and the affordable annuity, and if things get sticky later on she will have to move to a cheaper home. At least she will have the benefit of a nice home in the early years while she can still appreciate it. I hate to think what the future holds but with any luck she won't know what's going on.
Anybody else here in the same boat?