Care costs - private healthcare

[rachococo]

Hello, my dad has early onset dementia which seems to be deteriorating fairly rapidly. He lives some distance from me and my Mum is caring for him at home. He goes to day clubs four times a week, but my mum is finding it increasingly harder to cope with - they are both still under 70 years old and it was very unexpected. The doctors have mentioned respite, and looking to the future there is obviously a possibility that residential care will be needed. My dad has always dealt with their finances and they have both worked hard and own their own home and have some savings. My dad also has full medical care from his job before he left. We have asked the company for an idea of anything they would cover in terms of care and they will only talk about the current situation. It is causing y mum a lot of stress and anxiety as she doesn't know who to talk to about what would be covered from local services or savings or private healthcare - it is making everything in the future very uncertain. Who could help give us some answers - are there any agencies/forums of people who aare in similar situations?
Thanks

 

[canary]

I must say that I dont know the answer to this.
I know that in US care is paid for by medical insurance, but I suspect that in England it would not as here it is considered to be social expenditure, rather than medical.
This recent thread is good as it outlines how care is paid for
http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?90229-Funding-for-care

 

[Beate]

I don't think dementia as such is covered under private health insurance. It falls under social care and any care will either have to be funded by social services or the patient himself. If there are any other physical conditions present that require operations or treatment, they will be covered depending on the terms of the private insurance, otherwise it's under the NHS.

Any medication given for dementia is free if the patient is over 60 years old, like with any other medication.

 

[JayneB6367]

Hello, my dad has early onset dementia which seems to be deteriorating fairly rapidly. He lives some distance from me and my Mum is caring for him at home. He goes to day clubs four times a week, but my mum is finding it increasingly harder to cope with - they are both still under 70 years old and it was very unexpected. The doctors have mentioned respite, and looking to the future there is obviously a possibility that residential care will be needed. My dad has always dealt with their finances and they have both worked hard and own their own home and have some savings. My dad also has full medical care from his job before he left. We have asked the company for an idea of anything they would cover in terms of care and they will only talk about the current situation. It is causing y mum a lot of stress and anxiety as she doesn't know who to talk to about what would be covered from local services or savings or private healthcare - it is making everything in the future very uncertain. Who could help give us some answers - are there any agencies/forums of people who aare in similar situations?
Thanks

Hi, where do you live? In the UK very little is covered but the first thing to do is apply for attendance allowance. My Mother, who had a house worth £300k plus and a little savings, is self funding and will be until all of that has gone. She only received attendance allowance. She had private healthcare but again nothing covered.

 

[BillBRNC]

In the US, only a certain type of insurance will cover only a portion of memory care setting. Regular insurance pays nothing, and government Medicare pays nothing. The annual cost to the person is generally between $80,000US and $180,000US, with $100,000 to $120,000 being a good range for a decent enough facility. It is very very expensive here in the US. People without this kind of money must take care of the person with Alz at home, at least until they qualify for nursing home care paid by Medicaid, and you must be basically penniless to get Medicaid paid nursing home provision. The state of eldercare for Alz in the US for about 97% of the population is terrible.

 

[canary]

In the US, only a certain type of insurance will cover only a portion of memory care setting. Regular insurance pays nothing, and government Medicare pays nothing. The annual cost to the person is generally between $80,000US and $180,000US, with $100,000 to $120,000 being a good range for a decent enough facility. It is very very expensive here in the US. People without this kind of money must take care of the person with Alz at home, at least until they qualify for nursing home care paid by Medicaid, and you must be basically penniless to get Medicaid paid nursing home provision. The state of eldercare for Alz in the US for about 97% of the population is terrible.

Thanks for clarifying the issue in USA. I know that some of my US friends get help with caring, but I was very hazy about the details.

 

[Kevinl]

Rach, could you clarify;
"My dad also has full medical care from his job before he left. We have asked the company for an idea of anything they would cover in terms of care and they will only talk about the current situation"
When you say "the company" is that his former employers or is the company or a separate medical insurance company contracted to your dad's former employers.
There must be an contract with terms and conditions somewhere spelling what is and isn't covered, if it's an insurance policy and you should be given access to it, how can you be told you're insured but not what is covered.
I would contact the former employers and ask for a copy of the terms and conditions of the health insurance so you know where you stand "you're insured but we're not telling you what for" is an unacceptable attitude you wouldn't insure your house or car like that.
As Beate says it's a question of definition, is AZ a health issue or a social care issue, yes he has a medical condition but the care he needs isn't medical as such it's social care.
You really need to see the T&C's which I would though an employer would have to supply.
K