Trust funding

Elainemooney

Registered User
Oct 1, 2015
4
0
Ballymena
I am actually asking for advise for a friend whose mother also has dementia.
Her mother was evicted from her first nursing home due to challenging behaviour and placed into a mental health institute. After a long search another nursing home was found that was willing to accept her mother as a resident.
Due to the fact that this was the only carehome that would accept her mother she was informed by the trust that her mother was entitled to full funding under the mental health NI order.
Things have taken a drastic turn this week. She recieved a bill for 16'000 one day and a letter the next saying she actually owed the trust 21'000
Her mother has no assets and my friend and her husband are working low paid jobs. She is in a terrible state and doesn't know how she is going to find the money to pay this large bill and she is very worried her mother will no longer be able to stay in the nursing home where she has settled in fantastically. Any advice would be great no matter how small.
Many thanks in advance..
 

BeckyJan

Registered User
Nov 28, 2005
18,971
0
Derbyshire
This sounds alarming, I am so sorry that your friend has such a worry.

I suggest going back to the Trust involved; check whether there is a letter confirming that they would be responsible for funding. Also ask to see the NH Manager and tell him/her what was understood via the Trust and check whether they had a contract signed. Usually a resident or their representative has to sign to agree to payment. It is important to find as much proof of their commitment to pay as possible.

I believe this will only be solved by discussing the situation with those involved - ie the Trust and the Nursing Home and I hope your friend has some success.
 

loveahug

Registered User
Nov 28, 2012
1,071
0
Moved to Leicester
Just a little point, Elaine, but only your friend's mother is responsible for paying any bills, so if she has no money, the Trust won't get anything anyway. I do hope your friend didn't sign anything....
 

Elainemooney

Registered User
Oct 1, 2015
4
0
Ballymena
Thank you love a hug. She says she didn't sign anything and the manager of the carehome will vouch for that fact. I do hope it all works out for her because as we all know it is worrying enough having a relative suffering with dementia without the added stress of huge bills.
 

realist1234

Registered User
Oct 30, 2014
108
0
Hi Elaine

Was the bill she rec'd from the Trust or the Care Home? If the Trust, it may just mean that one part of the DHSS (local Health Trust) and another part (mental health) have not been talking to each other! Im from Belfast myself so know something of the system, but not much about the Mental Health Order. The lady's mum's pensions and any other income would go towards paying the CH fees, and any savings taken into account. If she owned a property, this would also be taken into consideration. There is also the so-called 'top-up' which applies if the weekly cost of the CH is more than the max amount the Trust views as reasonable, now around £480/week for residential or £580/week for a nursing home. Your friend could only ever be liable for this top-up fee. Our mum is living in a nursing home that charges £620/week. So currently our mum pays approx £200/week from pensions (incl a contribution from her savings), the NHS pays £100 nursing element, the Trust pays the balance of £280 up to their max of £580/week for a nursing home, and family pay the 'top-up' of £40/week, making the total of £620 per week. I suspect if only one CH was prepared to take her mum, then the 'top-up' would probably be paid by the Trust rather than the family, as family hasnt been given a choice as to where her mum could live (ie they were not given a cheaper option).

Peter
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,072
0
Bury
I appreciate that we are talking about NI but I doubt anybody other than your friend's mother can be forced to pay for necessary residential care, if she has no assets officialdom in some form or other will have to pick up the bill, also the fact that only one home will accept her means that there is no choice of home.

The situation sounds very similar to a section 117 placement in England.

A quick search returned >>>THIS<<<, it may contain useful information.