I have not posted before but have followed other posts for some time and find the site immensely helpful.
My father has had AD for 10 years. It developed relatively slowly but has been quite severe for the last three years or so. He now qualifies for CHC (he is also sectioned) and is in an NHS unit where the care is second to none. It is a small, quiet unit with one carer/nurse to every three patients and they are all wonderful. The CHC funding is reviewed every six months, and we are aware this could be taken away, but for the moment it seems that he will continue to get it.
Prior to this my father had been in a residential home for a year (self funding) until they could no longer cope with his behaviour. Since being in the NHS unit (just over a year) his income from his private pension has obviously been mounting up as he does not have to pay anything, although of course if CHC is ever withdrawn he will revert to self-funding and need to use this. (We dread this happening - mainly the thought of him having to leave such a fantastic place and find somewhere else that even comes close, as well as the trauma of moving.)
Meanwhile my mother still lives in their 4-bedroomed detached house, which she finds too big to manage, heat etc and would really like to downsize. If for example, she bought a flat, I assume that any equity from the sale would have to be split 50:50 with my father's half going into his account. However, recently we have thought that if she is going to move at all, it would make sense for her to move nearer us (we currently live 30 miles apart, with my father's place roughly halfway between). Therein lies the problem. My mother's house is worth about £300,000 max and we live in London where that would not even buy a decent one-bedroomed flat! I have seen a nice one-bedroomed garden flat which would be perfect but it is £400,000.
My question is, as my mother does not have £100,000 in her own name, would she be entitled to use any of my father's money to help her to purchase what would still be in theory their joint home? Their current home is in joint names and in theoryhe could return to it, even though we know that is highly unlikely. She has power of attorney, but I do not know if she would be allowed to do this. I hope someone may be able to advise me.
My father has had AD for 10 years. It developed relatively slowly but has been quite severe for the last three years or so. He now qualifies for CHC (he is also sectioned) and is in an NHS unit where the care is second to none. It is a small, quiet unit with one carer/nurse to every three patients and they are all wonderful. The CHC funding is reviewed every six months, and we are aware this could be taken away, but for the moment it seems that he will continue to get it.
Prior to this my father had been in a residential home for a year (self funding) until they could no longer cope with his behaviour. Since being in the NHS unit (just over a year) his income from his private pension has obviously been mounting up as he does not have to pay anything, although of course if CHC is ever withdrawn he will revert to self-funding and need to use this. (We dread this happening - mainly the thought of him having to leave such a fantastic place and find somewhere else that even comes close, as well as the trauma of moving.)
Meanwhile my mother still lives in their 4-bedroomed detached house, which she finds too big to manage, heat etc and would really like to downsize. If for example, she bought a flat, I assume that any equity from the sale would have to be split 50:50 with my father's half going into his account. However, recently we have thought that if she is going to move at all, it would make sense for her to move nearer us (we currently live 30 miles apart, with my father's place roughly halfway between). Therein lies the problem. My mother's house is worth about £300,000 max and we live in London where that would not even buy a decent one-bedroomed flat! I have seen a nice one-bedroomed garden flat which would be perfect but it is £400,000.
My question is, as my mother does not have £100,000 in her own name, would she be entitled to use any of my father's money to help her to purchase what would still be in theory their joint home? Their current home is in joint names and in theoryhe could return to it, even though we know that is highly unlikely. She has power of attorney, but I do not know if she would be allowed to do this. I hope someone may be able to advise me.
