Care Home expense question

[Mushy61]

Not sure if this is the right forum but I hope someone give me some advice on behalf of an elderly aunt.

She is at present residing in a care home and because she has worked and paid taxes all her life and accrued a bit of savings she has to pay the full amount towards her stay at the care home.

She is very unhappy with the service and resents the fact that she will in time have paid the care home many thousands of pounds. Is there a legal limit she can reduce her bank balance, i.e. cash gifts to family members etc.?

[yoni_one]

Sorry, I'm a bit confused. You seem to be asking how much money she needs to dispose of so that her care bill will be picked up by tax payers instead?

This may sound a bit simplistic but if she is unhappy with the service why not make a statement by moving to a care home she is happy with and is value for money.

Surely paying for good quality care and higher standard of service if she can afford it is more important that distributing inheritance now to avoid paying for substandard care isn't it?

[SomeBozo]

Not sure if this is the right forum but I hope someone give me some advice on behalf of an elderly aunt.

She is at present residing in a care home and because she has worked and paid taxes all her life and accrued a bit of savings she has to pay the full amount towards her stay at the care home.

She is very unhappy with the service and resents the fact that she will in time have paid the care home many thousands of pounds. Is there a legal limit she can reduce her bank balance, i.e. cash gifts to family members etc.?


Who will pay the fees if she gives away her money? The tax payer?

Really?

Bozo

[margaretclare]

I'm a bit like the OP's auntie. I've worked and paid taxes all my life - worked from ages 16-67 - and accrued some savings. Now 73, I'm still saving.

If I ever need to be in a care home, what do people think I should do about paying my fees? I do like a decent standard of living, comfortable and good quality.

If I was unhappy with the service I would - assuming I was still able to do so - pick up and move somewhere better. Why be unhappy in the place you're living in?

[alwaysonthego]

If she does give away her savings it will be classed as deprivation of capital and she will be classed has still having the money.

[Poppy9]

She cannot give her assets away to avoid paying her fees.

She should only be paying the residential element of the care home fees. If she is in a nursing home the NHS picks up this element of the costs automatically.

If she is unhappy with the home/care she does have options.


As she has money she could return home and employ a live in carer.
If she owns her own home she could consider renting it out to provide a monthly income to contribute towards her fees and afford a better quality home
She could move in with relatives

[kindofagilr]

Does your Aunt receive Attendance Allowance (AA) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA)?

As if she manages to shift her money (which I dont know if its possible) and get help with fees from the Local Authority she will lose her AA or DLA.

Sorry I cant help with the actual dishing of the money out to family members.

I dont think its fair that she wants to dish her money out though, as you have some OAPs that couldnt save for retirement and they need LA funding, whereas unfortunatly for your aunt she doesnt, I know this is going to sound awful but once her savings run out the LA will pay her fees.

[Biggles]

If she has 'many thousands of pounds', there are two things she should consider:-

1 As already mentioned, whether she wants to remain at the care home where she is now or move to a better one;

2 Whether she should, instead of paying through the nose every month, buy an Immediate Care Needs Annuity. By making one payment, this would pay for her care fees for the rest of her life, thus she would never 'run out of money' and have to use the home the Social Services want her in. Look at NHFA (https://www.hsbcpensions.co.uk/nhfa/pages/index.asp).

No, she can't give her money away so that her fees will be paid for her (this is 'Deliberate Deprivation') but option 2 above may well preserve her resources for her family for the future (if that's what she wants).

[Susan Frost]

My view of having assets, money, is that it gives you choices.

Just because she is old, does not mean she cannot make valid choices for herself. If she has the means then she should move out now to a better care home. She has probably been saving for a rainy day - and - hey - it's now chucking it down. Now is the time to spend the money on a good quality care home.

When the money is gone, if she is still around, I am not sure what happens, maybe she can stay and the Council pick up the bill. Someone here could tell you.

Unfortunately, there are many elderly people who cannot chose because they cannot pay and have to go where they are put. And not necessarily where it is easy for friends and family to visit. Just where there is room.

She has worked hard, and saved, to have choices, now is the time to make them.

Everyone should have the opportunity to live their final years being reasonably happy and comfortable. I wish all elderly people could have such peace of mind.

[BitterAndTwisted]

If she resents paying the care-home her precious savings, an alternative could be that she's taken care of by family members in their home. Then she could be fleeced/give generously in comfort

[smileykylie]

Just be careful though if she moves to a different home.

If anyone chooses a home that is outside the limit the council will pay they may insist that the person move into one that the Local Authority can afford.