How much care homes can cost

Cost of care home in my experience per week

  • <£50 + Assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • <£50 + I don't get any assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • >£50 < £150 + Assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • >£50 < £150 + I don't get any assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • > £150 <£250 + Assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • > £150 <£250 + I don't get any assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • >£250 <£350 + Assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • >£250 <£350 + I don't get any assistance

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • >£350 + Assistance

    Votes: 2 16.7%
  • >£350 + I don't get any assistance

    Votes: 10 83.3%

  • Total voters
    12

jc141265

Registered User
Sep 16, 2005
836
0
49
Australia
Hi All,
I thought it might be useful to others if those of us who have loved ones in a care home or have had a loved one in a care home took part in this poll, so that people can work out what the average cost is and decide whether they can afford it or if it might be cheaper for them to investigate other alternatives (i.e. a full time carer for a couple of days a week in house), or just be prepared for the kind of costs they will have to face. We might all also be able to see if we are getting ripped off or getting a really good deal. My Dad's home cost about $750AUD (about 350GBP) a week but my family got no assistance as my parents own a farm (i.e. asset testing precluded us receiving any assistance). It should also be noted that I live in Australia, and I expect prices will vary in different countries.
If you need a currency converter (as the poll has been set up in UK pounds) this website will easily do the calculations for you :http://www.xe.com/ucc/
I hope I haven't underestimated the costs for UK homes...I have based the poll on Dad's home cost being the high end seeing as we didn't get any assistance (mind you he still had to share a room at that price!!) It should also be noted that we still also paid for all his medications on top of the weekly price.
The poll is based on WEEKLY costs.
 
Last edited:

Brucie

Registered User
Jan 31, 2004
12,413
0
near London
Hi Nat

nice idea but care homes I have come across are around £750 a week so don't come on your scale. To indicate >350 would be misleading.

Also the poll could use a category of Continuing Care for UK people, where care costs are paid entirely by the health service.

... just my thoughts....
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
I would agree with Bruce - the "cheapest" I think I ever saw was £450 a week and we were paying £600

Edited to add - the other problem is there is a wide variety depending on where you are in the UK. Roughly care in the south will be more than care in the midlands which in turn will be more than care in the north. There are obviously exceptions to this but if someone wants to know how much a care home is likely to cost in their specific area you'd have to tie the survey results with the general location, and I'm not sure how you'd do that. When you're used to dealing with large distances as you are in Australia, and as I am in the USA, it seems remarkable that a couple of hundred miles could make a difference but it definitely can.
 
Last edited:

Short girl

Registered User
Mar 22, 2008
60
0
For residential it's around £500 - £600 weekly
For Nursing it's often more although the nursing element is paid by health.
Council rates are approx £390 for residential and about £470 for nursing - I give approx figures as rates vary from council to council - some have a sliding scale - sometimes add £50 for specialist dementia.
If assets are more than £22,250 GBP then you expect to pay the full cost or go private which offers more choice - some homes don't touch council rates or offer few beds at council rates
 

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
9,519
0
Frinton-on-Sea
Sorry short girl, don't mean to muddy the waters, but what area do you live in?

For residential it's around £500 - £600 weekly

Certainly not in our area.

Try starting at £700 and working upwards.
 

Clive

Registered User
Nov 7, 2004
716
0
Mums EMI Residential Home charge £643 per week for a nice size room that could be used as a double.

Clive
 

jc141265

Registered User
Sep 16, 2005
836
0
49
Australia
Man, and I thought Australia was bad! Maybe a different poll could be done up by a UK resident who has some idea of prices there...the government subsidises our homes here I believe.
Its really a nasty system...if you work hard all your life but end up needing a care home...all your hard earned money disappears into the home...and nothing is left for your children...usually the whole point of working hard in the first place...
 
Last edited:

gigi

Registered User
Nov 16, 2007
7,788
0
70
East Midlands
I know of a friend of my mum's whose husband went into a NH following a stroke..(sadly he died recently..)..

They had "means"..and it was costing the best part of £1000 weekly for full nursing care....

Love gigi xx
 

kazlou

Registered User
Feb 3, 2006
75
0
Surrey
Dad's nursing home after he had an acute stroke was £950.00 a week but we did have to fight REALLY HARD to get NHS continuing care for him.

Mum is now in a EMI nursing home as she has A.D & Vas D and we are paying £580.00 a week with no chance of receiving continuing care.

What makes me cross is you still have to pay full fees when they are in hospital just to keep their place at the care home.
 

KIM62

Registered User
Apr 12, 2008
51
0
Yorkshire
Care Home costs

Care homes vary and assistance provided differs also. And lets not forget region. Maybe another suggestion would be comparing difference in costs from previous years. For example; My sister-in-law went into full time care January 2008, at a cost of £370 a week. 8 months later, when costs went up, she now pays £387 a week. She is fully funding, and as additional costs added on for personal items like hairdresser, chiropody, treats. 15 years ago I worked in a residential home(different kind of needs) for the elderly. The costs were around the £230 a week mark. If a resident had to rely on the state for funding. The home would take all pensions, both state and private, towards payment. The state would then cover the difference, the resident would then recieve £5 a week back as spendy money. Additional costs not covered were the treats and personal expenses. So £5 a week did not go far if that is all you had money. Have these times changed I wonder for state funded residents or not?:confused:
 

Norman

Registered User
Oct 9, 2003
4,348
0
Birmingham Hades
What happens when the money runs out?
No fluid assets,only pension,benefits etc.
Irrespective of the home fee, would they be thrown out of the home or are SS bound to pay the full fee?
Norman
 

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
9,519
0
Frinton-on-Sea
Hi Norman.
or are SS bound to pay the full fee?

No Norman, they only pay to the LA guidelines.........then in order for the resident to stay, they would look to another family member to pay a top up fee.
 

Norman

Registered User
Oct 9, 2003
4,348
0
Birmingham Hades
Sorry Connie I didn't explain very well.

What if they have no other relatives or the relatives cannot afford to pay anything?
What then ?
 

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
9,519
0
Frinton-on-Sea
Dear Norman,

I was told by the CC that Lionel is resident in, that if his monies ran out the SS would not fund the home he was in (too expensive). He would have to move.
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
I only pay the LA maximum, though we're self funding, and the home's fees are much higher.

This is because the LA have the contract for the NH, and bill me monthly.

So when our money runs out, the LA will take over.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
I think you highlighted in the past, Hazel, that you were advised to have the LA negotiate the rate for just such an eventuality (or am I misremembering?). And I also seem to remember reading that that procedure was now Scotland wide. In England though I think it's entirely down to the specific home and the specific LA. I made sure (although it turned out not to be necessary) that the home would accept Mummy as an LA client should her money have run out (at £150 a week less than we were paying) but that was between me and them. There was no guarantee from social services and I think it would be unlikely that there would be, since in the vast majority of cases the LA isn't involved at all until the money runs out.
 

Skye

Registered User
Aug 29, 2006
17,000
0
SW Scotland
No, you're right, Jennifer. But I'm not sure how widespread it is in Scotland, each LA makes its own rules, as in England. It's always worth trying, though.

Worryingly, the issue of free personal care had raised its ugly head again. It's costing far more than was budgeted for, and they'd dearly love to get rid of it.

I think if Labour had won the last election, it would have been scrapped. But the SNP are scared to be seen as the meanies. They'd lose the grey vote to Labour, who introduced the scheme.

I just hope they keep it going for as long as John needs it. If I eventually need care, that doesn't matter. I've no compunction about spending the kids' inheritance!
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
What if they have no other relatives or the relatives cannot afford to pay anything?
What then ?


That happen to someone I got to know in a newly built Dementia end of stage nursing Care home in my area

As are Local Authority closed down all there own run Care home in our area & Amalgamated with a privets company that open 2 specialist new dementia care home .
On one of its floors is for end of stage nursing Which cost £900 a week

This lady was not in end of stages , but was very challenging so they put her on that floor .

They paid all her fees, as she had one relative who could not help pay towards it .
only a niece who told me that she had her own home , while in other care home all the money went on paying the fees towards the other care home

That was when they put my mother on that floor when I had an emergency respite, so I could still visit mum every day as its very close to my own home . Then when I found out it was £900 a week, I was shock, so when I ask for mum to go there again for respite they said they did that as a One of. I can understand why , because my LA will only pay £600 tops, for a register dementia care home. Well only fund the £900 when mum in end of stage
 
Last edited:

Staff online

Forum statistics

Threads
138,112
Messages
1,993,080
Members
89,776
Latest member
Alister