Care home fees etc please explain

[deepetshopboy]

Hi im confused with the care home fees and wondered if I can get some help my situation my dad 72 mod dementia has £20,000 savings i was told by social worker that if he went onto care would needto live in and find a home with the local authority because he’s saving would run out quickly no point in looking at private home and he couldn’t use the £14000 that might be left as top up fees is this correct?
Theres only 4 homes in the local area so not much choice also if i moved and wanted my father near me could i move him to a closer home with another local authoritie and would they pay or refuse because hes not originally from that borough thank u all new to me this as im sure others it is too

 

[Jessbow]

Does he own a house?

 

[deepetshopboy]

Does he own a house?

Hi no just the savings he rents

 

[Sirena]

Yes your social worker was correct about the fees. His savings are already below the level where a care home would accept him as self funding, and your dad cannot 'top up' his own fees with savings at that level.

In terms of wanting to move your father to a different area, as he is LA funded I am not sure how easy it is, it's must be possible but it may add another level of difficulty.

 

[deepetshopboy]

Yes your social worker was correct about the fees. His savings are already below the level where a care home would accept him as self funding, and your dad cannot 'top up' his own fees with savings at that level.

In terms of wanting to move your father to a different area, as he is LA funded I am not sure how easy it is, it's must be possible but it may add another level of difficulty.

Thanks for the information
So basically a person has to go to a la funded home if they have under the threshold ?
Whats the difference in private and la homes is there more staff better food etc

 

[Andrew_McP]

Whats the difference in private and la homes is there more staff better food etc

These days I think there's only one type of care home and the only difference is that those with private means pay (often much) more for individual places than LAs pay by buying 'in bulk'.

 

[deepetshopboy]

These days I think there's only one type of care home and the only difference is that those with private means pay (often much) more for individual places than LAs pay by buying 'in bulk'.

Oh ok so i thought in a private home you would get extra staff better care tbh ive been into 3 homes now 2 la funded and 1 a relative was paying for all seemed the same thing
my relative was in she never had a bath in 9 months she was there never had her hair washed or saw a dr ! Not knocking all care homes just trying to differentiate between la funded and private (sorry if my post might offend )

 

[Sirena]

@Andrew_McP There are certainly homes which accept both LA and self funded clients, with self funded just paying more (effectively subsidising LA).

But there are also homes which only have LA funded clients, and homes which only have self funders. My mother (self funded) is in a CH which in the past accepted both types - the LA was their biggest client - but the LA fees dropped to such a low level that they stopped accepting them. Other CHs round here now refuse LA for that reason.

In terms of 'what's the difference' - there is no one answer. In theory the care is better in private care homes because they can afford a higher ratio of carers (who may be better paid and have better working conditions) but that isn't always the case. There are members on here who have a PWD in a good LA funded care home where they receive excellent care. CHs vary hugely so it's a case of checking each one individually, although as LA funded you will have a limited choice.