£12,000 'Old Age' Levy?

[Skye]

Thank you for those links, Sandy and JPG1.

I like the comments in JPG1's first link, there is a good balance, with some excellent points.

I particularly like oommph (15 July, 11.59) and SteveGJ (15 July, 12.31pm).

 

[TyJane]

My experience of having to fund care relating to a member of our family or friends having Cancer is nil.

Members of our family have always helped. when illness strikes, no member or friend with this awful disease has ever had to pay monies for their care

If someone lives alone, and has no family to help, I can see how funding for care would come in to it!

Jane

 

[MarkEdge]

I've just sent an email to the Society asking them the same question. If you don't mind, if I get a reply, I'll post it back to this thread.

In a previous post I asked whether the AS still support the concept of Continuing Care, i.e. NHS full funding with no means testing for those with a 'primary health need' as it wasn't clear from their public statement on the green paper?

I wrote them an email on July 14 as follows: "I read that Neil Hunt made the following comments about the Government’s Green Paper on Social Care today [and then quoted it in full]. Does this mean that the Society still supports the concept of NHS Continuing Care, i.e. NHS full funding with no means testing, for those with a 'primary health need' as it isn't clear from the above?"

Sadly, no-one has replied to my initial email another chaser on July 29. This concerns me as the Society seems to be softening it's stance on full funding. Anyone have an 'inside' view on what the Society's policy is?

Cheers

Mark

 

[Brucie]

No, but I always write a letter for important things, I don't send emails and expect a speedy response, or necessarily any response.

Why not send a formal letter, addressed to Neil Hunt?

Emails are so easily lost/grabbed by spam filters etc. Emails sent to individuals, particularly ones who are out and about a lot, may be viewed by those who have no way of gauging the importance or relevance of one message out of hundreds or thousands.

A letter, addressed to an individual. Worth trying.

Good luck!

 

[MarkEdge]

Sadly, no-one has replied to my initial email another chaser on July 29. This concerns me as the Society seems to be softening it's stance on full funding. Anyone have an 'inside' view on what the Society's policy is?

Not sure if it's co-incidence or not, but I received the following email from the AS today in response to my email:

"Thank you for your email regarding the Alzheimer’s Society’s position on NHS Continuing Care. The Society believes that all people with dementia who meet the criteria for fully funded NHS continuing care should receive that care free on the NHS. Since the Society began campaigning to get better access to continuing care with Age Concern and the Royal College of Nursing 5 years ago the rules on continuing care have changed and the number of people now getting care paid for has risen from 20,000 to over 45,000. We will continue to encourage people to seek continuing care funding and campaign for a fairer system.
However, the Society has never argued that all care should be free as we do not believe that this is a realistic prospect. Instead we have been campaigning for major changes to the system of funding and charging as a whole to make it easier for people to understand, less complicated and less unfair towards people with dementia. Importantly a new system must also ensure far better quality of care for people with dementia as well assorting out the issue in relation to who pays.
If implemented properly at a local level, the new framework for NHS Continuing Care should mean that some additional people with dementia will get access to fully funded NHS care.
The current care funding system is broken and needs a complete overhaul. Due to the fragmented current system of funding care the Society has welcomed the publication of the Department of Health’s 'Shaping the Future Together' Green Paper. This consultation document sets out how the government could reform the funding of the care system and make it a fairer system for all. The Green Paper presents five proposed funding systems which aim to make the funding of care fairer for all. The Society is currently involved in the sixteen week consultation process of this document and is passionately aiming to change the system through its work with the Department of Health and key stakeholders.
More information on the Alzheimer’s Societies positions on Continuing Care and the Green Paper can be found through our website: NHS continuing care - Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Society briefing on Green Paper.
We would welcome your thoughts on the proposals as we are keen to establish a clear response to the Government which is based on what people think."

I think this is a far more precise and balanced comment than the brief one shown on the Society's website issued which could be misinterpreted. It implies that the Society continue to support the principle of free NHS funding for those with a 'primary health need'.

Mark

 

[TyJane]

Help!!!!!!

Jane