Care home fees are a gamble, aren't they?

[VerityH]

I hate to rain on your parade @VerityH but its not not up to the care homes who gets CHC and who doesnt. I think they probably mean that they will accept LA funding so that you dont have to pay top-ups

Yes I expect you're right. I just don't understand enough about the system. I hasten to add that I am on a very steep learning curve about all of this at the moment. What a shame the powers that be don't issue a guide on how it all works which is easily accessible and with bullet points for people who are run ragged trying to sort their loved ones out. This forum is fantastic for finding out about stuff. Thank goodness for all you experienced folk helping us newbies x

 

[looviloo]

I really hate this care home fees thing, it causes so much anxiety.... dad has been living in a care home for 3.5 years now, but the fees have been reasonable and I estimated they would last for over 10 years when he moved there. Now he has deteriorated he has to move into a much more expensive dementia home and we've probably got 3 to 5 years worth of funds left. He's 90 with late stage dementia but physically he's fine. There are people in his care home who are pushing 100.

The home dad (hopefully) will be moving to has stated from the outset that a top up would be needed when the funds run out. Well, we can't afford that. Personally I wouldn't pay even if I could (unless I was super rich!) because we need to plan for our own future.

So unfortunately dad will be at the mercy of whatever system is in place at the time, and my only hope is that should he live that long, he'll not realise what's happening.

As an aside, the new home is very open about it's fees, and dad as a self-funder will be paying more than twice as much as residents paid for by the local authority. I'm resigned to this fact, but find it very upsetting that we could still be asked for a top up?!

 

[Sirena]

I really hate this care home fees thing, it causes so much anxiety.... dad has been living in a care home for 3.5 years now, but the fees have been reasonable and I estimated they would last for over 10 years when he moved there. Now he has deteriorated he has to move into a much more expensive dementia home and we've probably got 3 to 5 years worth of funds left. He's 90 with late stage dementia but physically he's fine. There are people in his care home who are pushing 100.

The home dad (hopefully) will be moving to has stated from the outset that a top up would be needed when the funds run out. Well, we can't afford that. Personally I wouldn't pay even if I could (unless I was super rich!) because we need to plan for our own future.

So unfortunately dad will be at the mercy of whatever system is in place at the time, and my only hope is that should he live that long, he'll not realise what's happening.

As an aside, the new home is very open about it's fees, and dad as a self-funder will be paying more than twice as much as residents paid for by the local authority. I'm resigned to this fact, but find it very upsetting that we could still be asked for a top up?!

Twice as much! Although I suppose that isn't surprising given the LA are so incredibly stingy with their fees.

My mother is 83 with late mid-stage dementia, and she started off with the ability to pay for 5 years worth of CH fees (at current rates). She is very fit and mobile and has no other health problems, and her parents lived to be 93 and 98.

The LA used to be my mother's CH's biggest customer, but they had to stop accepting LA residents as it was not financially viable. They said they may however keep a resident as an LA client if they have been self-funding for several years. If they require a top up we are in the same position as you, so she would have to go wherever the LA send her. She may need nursing care at some point and have to move anyway. It's all the unknowns which make this such a daunting process.

 

[looviloo]

Twice as much! Although I suppose that isn't surprising given the LA are so incredibly stingy with their fees.

My mother is 83 with late mid-stage dementia, and she started off with the ability to pay for 5 years worth of CH fees (at current rates). She is very fit and mobile and has no other health problems, and her parents lived to be 93 and 98.

The LA used to be my mother's CH's biggest customer, but they had to stop accepting LA residents as it was not financially viable. They said they may however keep a resident as an LA client if they have been self-funding for several years. If they require a top up we are in the same position as you, so she would have to go wherever the LA send her. She may need nursing care at some point and have to move anyway. It's all the unknowns which make this such a daunting process.

It sounds as though we are are in similar positions. It causes so much stress, and is part of the reason I'm so concerned about dad's imminent move. It just shows how shockingly unrealistic the LA contributions are and although I'm glad my dad had money to pay for his care, I'm also a little bit upset about the imbalance in the system. But I have no easy answers for sorting it out!

My dad's current home won't accept LA funded residents - it's only a small place, just 12 residents, and is family run. They know that the LA have an unrealistic cap on the amount they spend and think it's unfair to ask the privately funded residents to pay disproportionately more. Even taking that into account, they still have to charge more than the current LA rate (of around £435 for standard residential in our area) to run the home efficiently. Maybe it's why they have a decent staff ratio, and why it's a bit of shock for me looking around other homes! Not that it's a palace or anything, just homely and the way care should be in my opinion.

The very best of luck with your mum... we can only do our best xxx

 

[Sirena]

You can see why care homes say they can't give the best care on on £435 a week. My mother's CH now only accepts self-funding clients, her room is £780 a week which is fairly reasonable, some other care homes round here charge over £1000. Like your dad's CH it is family run, there are about 40 residents. It's dreadful when the best you can hope is that they die before their funds run out. Best of luck to you and your dad too x

 

[whatproblem]

What is your chosen Homes, policy regarding those who's money has run out?
I know of one, where the person has to come in (as a self funder) with so much funds available, 3-5 years min. Should the money run out, then LA funding is accepted, topped up by a form of reserve fund. Needless to say the home is not at the cheap end of the market, but residents do have a home for life.

Bod

The difference between LA funding and the cost of this care home is so huge that I can't imagine them accepting the lower figure. But it won't hurt to ask. Maybe some kind of deal could be struck. Thanks for the idea.