Care Home Debt needs to be paid ASAP

[Paul198021]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for reading. I just wanted to ask the group around any advice or shared experiences around a delay in paying care home fees.

The care home have told us that we need to have paid fees by 1st September and it’s causing me a lot of stress and sleepless nights.

Let me give you the background:

Mum’s Alzheimer’s got steadily worse and in the autumn of 2022, we had to get her into a care home to provide for her everyday needs.

We’re a very small family and we have two properties, so we’re kind of asset rich but cash poor. So we made a deal with the care home that we would sell a property to finance the debt now that Mum was in care.

To sell the property, we had to get a deputyship order in place which took ages and wasn’t granted to us until June 2023.

We were in the process of doing up Mum’s house which needed substantial repairs when unfortunately Mum got ill and was placed in palliative care at the beginning of July 23 and very sadly passed away in August of that year.

We then had to wait again for probate to be granted before we could put the house up for sale.

We finally got probate granted this month and the house has gone up for sale last week. The care home though are beginning to lose patience and have said that they want all of the debt to be paid by 1st September.

I’m really worried because property round our way is selling really slowly and the Estate agents also told us this too. What’s going to happen if we haven’t sold this property by September?

I only rent so I can’t sell my property so I’m really reliant on Mum’s property getting sold to pay these bills.

Im not trying to argue with the care home or trying to renegotiate the debt - I fully accept that we need to pay and that’s why we’re selling a property.

I’m not sure what more we could do ….and if they take me to court, I’m not sure what they’re expecting because we’ve cooperated fully. It feels a bit out of my hands and is really frustrating.

Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated as I feel like I’m at my wits end.

 

[SAP]

I think it sounds like you need some professional advice and this. As you say, the care home want their money but they have got no choice other than to wait until the cash is available. So even if this did go to court, all they can then do is wait for the house sale. Remember this is yours mums debt not your personally. I am assuming that you are the executor for your mums will.
I’m no legal expert but it sounds to me like they are just trying to recoup their fees just like any business would do and they are trying strong arm tactics. You need to find the right way to tell them that they won’t get anything until the property is sold end of. Maybe talk with the CAB as a first option.

 

[SeaSwallow]

Hello and welcome to the forum @Paul198021 This must be so worrying for you. I am not able to offer you any advice on this issue but would suggest that you call the Alzheimer's Society's helpline for advice, they are very knowledgeable. I have attached a link below.

Dementia Support Line

If you need dementia support, we’re here for you. Get personalised information, support and advice by calling us on 0333 150 3456.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

 

[Paul198021]

Thank you both. I think those are really good suggestions and I will try CAB and the Dementia support line.

You’re right @SAP - I am the executor for Mum’s will. I think that debts from the deceased need to be settled within a year. Mum passed away in August so that’s probably why the care home have chosen September as their deadline.

I’m not angry at the care home - it’s a business and they expect to be paid. There’s nothing wrong with that at all - the thing that I feel frustrated about is that the process is out of my hands - we’re reliant now on someone buying Mum’s house before September. It’s frustrating that I might get dragged through the courts and even get made bankrupt even though I’m trying to fully cooperate with getting the care home their money.

It’s taken us a while to put the property up for sale but there’s definitely mitigating factors for that (like waiting for the Deputyship and probate to be granted.)

I wish I could pay this bill now but the current debt stands at nearly £60K and I just don’t have that money without selling property.

 

[DeeCee7]

Sorry to hear of your predicament. Could you sell the property by auction? @Paul198021 this would be a faster route.

 

[Paul198021]

Thanks @DeeCee7 - it’s something that I’ve contemplated but …….

(and I do realise that the answer to this might be - “Well, in your predicament, beggars can’t be choosers)

…..selling via auction means that in almost all cases we’ll need to take a hit on the value of the property. Maybe I’m just being emotional about all of this, but this was my Mum’s house that she worked hard all of her life to pay for. I don’t think it’s particularly fair to have to sell it for less than it’s worth. We agreed with the care home that we would sell the property and I don’t have any arguments there - but we didn’t agree that we’d have to sell it at any price going.

Who knows though, maybe we’ll get forced into a corner and have to do just that.

 

[mhw]

I suggest talking to them and offering all transparency on the sale with them and added interest on the debt after the sept deadline. If you offer this in writing should they take you to court( which could take months) I felt the court will look favourably upon your case, especially as it is partly their fault because of the shambolic way deputyship orders are processed and the COP conduct themselves