'Changes needed' in social care Radio 4 Monday 7th May.

[Stephen Johnson]

A special feature, The Future Of Social Care, will be on You And Yours on BBC Radio 4 at 12 noon on Monday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6624785.stm

Kind Regards,

Stephen (Johnson).

 

[Amy]

Thanks Stephen for drawing this to our attention.
Helen

 

[Chris Edgerton]

Attendance allowance domcillary and care home social care

Interesting radio show.

My comments are:

Domiciliary care home charges should be set at a maximum charge which reflects the amount of attendance allowance a person can receive: £41.65 for lower rate and £62.25 for the higher rate. Yes, these rates are derisory low and should be increased. Also, I believe there should be a third level for people in privately funded care homes.

Another area where the elder are being hit is in residential care homes. The disparity between Warwickshire County Councils maximum residential care home fee and that of a residential care home for people with dementia in Leamington Spa is now £122 per week! People on low incomes can no longer have there loved ones living nearby. Because it mean their family would have to find £122.

These are comments which need to be changed to day, and could be.

As for the future, that is another thing. It's all very well suggesting private insurance. But in Europe there are still top-up fees required from the person and or their families!

Yours fraternally

Chris Edgerton

 

[jenniferpa]

Chris regarding your point about warwickshire. Is what you're saying that its £122 above what social services would pay and the homes would accept for SS's patients and that the homes then require a top up? Because my mother's in warwickshire and I was told that while she pays £600 a week as a self-funder, if she wasn't and was paid for by SS, they would pay £450 and the home would accept this as full payment.

 

[Chris Edgerton]

Regional disparities

Due to extreme regional disparities in Warwickshire fee levels do vary.

The council have entered into arrangements with some care/nursing homes to enable the care home to accept a non self funding person at the council’s maximum fee rate where the homes fee level normal would exceed the councils maximum fee level.

My quote was for a person in South Warwickshire at an EMI residential care home; this is for people with dementia that dos not require nursing.

EMI (dementia) with nursing becomes more complicated to assess. Feel levels payable may depend on the person being eligible for part nursing care or continuing care financial elements paid for by the Health Service, which do vary.

And also so remenber there are only so many beds/placments avaliable.

 

[jenniferpa]

But you are talking about top-up fees yes? Not the irritating disparity when a self-funder pays considerably more than a SS patient?

 

[Chris Edgerton]

Top-up fee levels

Yes my original piont was relating to top-up fees.

See graph attached (PDF file); shows increasing disparate between private care home fee and the maximum fee level by the council in recent years.

Note this is for South Warwickshire, in other parts the disparity may be smaller or none existent.

Chris