Help regarding my Father’s finances

[sj2019]

Hi,

This is my first post to the forum. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

My Father entered care in 2010 following a serious head injury resulting in a range of neurological conditions affecting his mobility and memory. The fees for the care home were extremely high and his home was entered into a deferred payment agreement. We applied for CHC but unfortunately failed in our application to secure funding. Dad made the decision to sell his home to pay for his care due to the accrued debt and the cost of it standing empty. Not long after Dad sold his property the local council deemed him well enough to enter extra care housing where he is going to have to claim housing benefit to pay for the fees. The scheme allows him to have his own flat but with care services on site. We are in the process of applying for benefits at the moment.

My question is, is it right that Dad has had to lose his home only to be transferred to extra care housing when the money has ran out? Has anybody else been in a similar position?

Many thanks.

 

[Louise7]

Welcome to DTP. Unfortunately those who own property where no one else is living have no option at the moment other than to sell the property or enter a deferred payment scheme to pay for their care. As your Dad has discovered, deferred payment schemes cost money. If he still had the property it would still be counted as an asset when claiming housing benefit so the money to pay for the extra care housing would have to come from somewhere. Did the council place him in the care home or was it your Dad's/family decision? Funding seems to be a priority for all councils and if they deem that your Dad doesn't actually need a care home then it would make sense for them to move him into cheaper accommodation when they have to start paying for his care, providing of course that this actually meets his care needs. Did they carry out a full assessment of his care needs prior to moving him? You can request another CHC assessment to establish your Dad's needs if you think that the council haven't taken his care needs properly into account prior to moving him.

 

[sj2019]

Thank you for your reply Louise. It was the councils decision to admit Dad into full time care. Prior to moving into extra care housing Dad also underwent a full healthcare assessment. There are still some elements of the extra care housing which Dad is finding difficult. We’re in the process of arranging shopping services and different care packages. It feels awful for Dad to lose his home like this. I think if anything, I’m just happy that Dad is supported and not living at home which would be incredibly difficult and dangerous for him.