Home Care Charges - Please help

[Sunflower10]

Hello

I am after some advice with regard to the fees charged for homecare and if anyone has had any examples of being exempt or has charges at a reduced rate.

In a nutshell, Mum is 60 has AD which has progressed severely since Christmas thanks to a UTI. She currently lives in a rented property with my 2 younger brothers who help care for her and along with myself and a close family friend we have carried out all her care needs up to now.

Yesterday an assesment was carried out by SS to clarify mums needs and it was agreed (in principle) that we could arrange care in the home 3 times a day to help take over the care currently provided by myself. (I am heavily pregnant with new baby due next month and a 12 month old baby already at home - mad I know !)

However I am confused over charges, I had believed as mum has no savings at all, with her only income being her Pension, Pension Credit and DLA that any care would be free (silly me). I was told that she would have to pay £8.50 per hour of care, this would equate to £25.50 a day / £178.50 a week. Plus if she has access to the day centre, which I had requested, the current charges for this are going up in the next financial year from £5.20 a session to £32.70 . My mums DLA will not cover these costs. I have considered trying to claim Carers Allowance to contribute but I cannot get this as I am on Maternity Allowance.

A financial assesment is being arranged to confirm mums financial status and I am hoping that they may be able to clarify some of this for me but who knows when that is likely to be.

I also wanted to know if when the time comes for a care home if the fees will be paid for. I have tried calling our local council care info no. to clarify this today and all they said was that the council fund part and any short fall needs to be paid by family. This is not an option for us and therefore I am worried we are going to be stuck caring for her on our own with no financial help and unable to pay for care to be brought in.

Has anyone else had to untangle a similar situation and maybe be able to clarify what care could be paid for and what would need to be funded?

Sorry to ramble on, mixture of being totally shattered from caring and a belly full of hormones.

 

[maryw]

Firstly, does your Mum receive Attendance Allowance? This money would help cover her care costs

Secondly, have you had a benefits assessment from Age Concern? They are brilliant and will do a home visit and give you lots of advice.

 

[connie]

Hi Sunflower, with regard to home care and day care services:

From what I remember things should become clearer upon financial assessment. What you have been quoted are the charges currently in operation.

At assessment your all your mother's income will be noted, and against that will be taken off certain outgoings. Depending on the balance left is what you are then charged for services.

They take into account mortgages/rent/heating etc. plus lots of oher incidentials.

 

[jenniferpa]

If your mother gets DLA then she won't receive attendance allowance (it's one or the other). One thing I can tell you is that, as the law stands today, should she have to enter residential care and she has no savings, while most of her income will pay for that care (leaving her with, currently, a personal allowance of approx £22) the local authority will pick up the rest of those costs.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/factsheet/469

However, in house care is very much under the control of the specific LA, as I understand it.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/factsheet/418

Note these points from this factsheet

The local authority can charge for the services it arranges. However, only the person receiving the services will be financially assessed. The assessors will ask questions about the person's financial circumstances to see how much, if anything, they can contribute towards the cost of services.

The procedures for charging and the amounts charged may vary among local authorities, but charges should always be 'reasonable'.

If the person with dementia or their carer thinks that the charge for community care services is unreasonable, or if the person with dementia is unable or unwilling to pay, they should ask the social services department whether it will reduce or waive the charge. A service cannot be discontinued simply because a person is unable to pay.

 

[Sunflower10]

Thanks for the advice. I have managed to get hold of mums newly allocated CPN this afternoon and she has managed to answer a few of my questions.

I believe when we have the financial assessment then what needs to be paid will become clear. The cpn has advised that the assessment will establish what mum can afford to contribute towards her care and then anything over or above that will be paid by the local authority and whatever care mum needs should be provided.

It has also been reassured that when we need to place mum in a care home the new local dementia home is fully funded by our LA so hopefully she will be able to get a place here.

It certainly is a learning curve being a carer with so many different things you need to know but hopefully everything will work out ok.