Paying for residential care - options

[Evoque]

Does anyone know all of the rules to do with paying for care?

Currently my Mum lives in a retirement flat. Social Services are going to be providing a care package for her, as her savings are well below the threshold at which she would be expected to contribute.

However, the situation is far from ideal, because there is an Entryphone system, and Mum's deafness and frequent loss/misplacing of her hearing aids means she doesn't always let people (i.e. care professionals) in!!!!

It is clear that as time goes on she needs more and more care, and we may be looking into residential care for her at some point.

Someone told me recently that if Mum were diagnosed with more than one disability/impairment then the council (or is it the NHS?) would pay for all of her residential care, not taking into account the value of her home.

Is this true?

 

[jenniferpa]

It's not to do with number of diagnoses, its whether she would qualify for NHS chc. I'm afraid this is difficult to get and from your description your mother wouldn't qualify. Whoever told you this isnt terribly well informed.

 

[Jessbow]

No that isn't true.
Some people are CHC funded because of a Health Need, ( its only a small number though)
Some people are funded - because they have little in the way of assets
Many are self funding, because they do have assests ( inc property which might need to be sold)

 

[nitram]

However, the situation is far from ideal, because there is an Entryphone system, and Mum's deafness and frequent loss/misplacing of her hearing aids means she doesn't always let people (i.e. care professionals) in!!!!

Enquire about having flashing light or lights fitted.
Same applies to smoke/fire alarm and phone.

 

[Careroncoffee]

@Evoque to solve the door bell issue, have a look through through the bellman range. Their pager system works with entry phones. It also has the added advantage that you can install fire alarms and alarm clocks that are picked up by the same pager. SS did supply my mum with some of their range. Good luck.

https://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/shop/shop-search-results/?q=bellman

 

[Pete R]

Does your Mum own her retirement flat?

 

[Kikki21]

Sadly if your mum owns her own home then she may have to sell it to fund her care or you can arrange to have a deferred payment on the home so that the LA pay the care home costs & then when your mum passes you pay them back from the cost of the house.

 

[Kevinl]

Sadly if your mum owns her own home then she may have to sell it to fund her care or you can arrange to have a deferred payment on the home so that the LA pay the care home costs & then when your mum passes you pay them back from the cost of the house.

The problem may be that retirement homes (assuming the mother does own it) are debatable, many are on sale for a long time and very few seem to get anywhere near the asking price.
The other consideration is that the monthly management charges will still have to be paid and these can be very significant figures for a retirement home, many times what you'd pay in a standard flat, even if the flat is empty the charges will still have to be paid.
K