Paying for home care?

[kayleigh999]

Hi All

Wonder if anyone can help me (again)

To recap Mom 83, vascualar dementia with evidence of AD.

Lives with Dad, 81 who in not good health really as in need of new knee and dealing with new one 2 yrs ago after getting 3 hospital infections, so not the best result but mobile.

I help daily with chores, shopping and taking them everywhere. Mom had smallish stroke on nov 24th and Dad rang and said "mom cant walk but Its not worth you coming over (!) I went round and an ambulance was called and she admitted to hospital.

10 days on and mom has gone from no mobility at all to very unsteady with a zimmer but cant as yet do the stairs for the physio (prior to admission was walking okish with one stick)

My question is this; if she comes home what is the situation with fees for a carer? I have heard it is 15 pound and hour and minimum is 7 hours. That would be 105 pound and they get 60odd a week attendence allowance. Would they pay the 60 then have to pay the rest? they own home and qualify for pension tax credit.

As a footnote my dad is adament he will not pay anything and he thinks now that the AA is to hide up in the loft and cant be spent!! his comments over last few days have been "why should I pay them, they are not even qualified,I will shove her upstairs myself" etc.

The problem is he does mean it, on day of admission he found mom at one point collapsed on floor unable to get up, he very annoyingly had been for his lunchtime drink he cant miss. By his own admission he "dragged her into living roon and threw her on sofa"

I keep taking the hospital staff to one side and tell them not to listen to dad saying he cant cope and to make sure she 100%. I can see him manhandling her up the stairs and everything.

The reason I cant help with lifting is I have a back condition but I am ok with everything else.

Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

Kxxxx

 

[jenniferpa]

I agree with Nada - call the helpline.

As to costs - this will vary widely and is dependent on where you are. I was never expected to pay for a minimum numbers of hours though, so that's obviously variable.

If your parents are receiving pension credit, it may be that in fact, you may be able to get social services to provide care - these calculations are heavily weighted towards savings rather than income. That is, if your savings are low enough you would porbably be expected to pay something on a sliding scale, while if your sving are too high, you wouldn't even be given the option.

 

[Louise.D]

I live in Essex and before a patient is sent home they have to have a social services assessment. They will put in a care package to suit that patients requirements. The package they put in place for my mum was toilet and check up calls three times a day. 30 mins to get her up, 15mins lunch and 30 mins bedtime. They billed me by the quarter hour and there was no minimum charge.

The charges were reasonable and fair and the extra help getting mum dressed and undressed was well worth the money (and my sanity)

I advise that you do not tell Social Services that you help your parents. Social Services were real b***tards to me as they tried to get me to do everything for my mum. Up all night and clearing up after her all day. When I said I was struggling they said 'Well you should of thought about that before you took her own' Tell that about the bad days, not the good days.

Best of luck. It's a worrying time for you.