Have you dealt with a care home after a loved one’s death?

Former_MSE_Thiri · 26 January 2018 at 5:23PM

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is consulting on fees charged by UK care and nursing homes for the elderly after the death of a resident.

The CMA is concerned that it may be unfair to keep charging fees for a long time. If your relative, or someone you represented, passed away in a home, the CMA would like to hear about your experiences via this short questionnaire. Your information will inform its guidance to care homes on this issue.

For more on how your comments will be used, see the CMA information sheet.

After you’ve done the survey, please do feel free to also share your experiences below.

badmemory · 27 January 2018 at 5:39AM

I can't remove enough security to access the questionnaire.

We signed a four week notice contract with my mothers care home & we didn't get billed for the 4th week after her death so a plus one there. She died just before noon. I cleared most of her belongings that evening & went back the next morning to remove the last few more bulky items. I found the wardrobe & drawers full & as I was leaving before 11am (so less than 24 hours after her death) almost collided with the new resident moving in! They did know I was there as it was not possible to gain access otherwise. So a minus one there.

Spendless · 27 January 2018 at 9:25AM

I hadn't even realised they did charge until I just read this! I'd never thought about it

How long is the 'norm'?

It's something I need to make sure my Mum is aware of, who has POA for my Nan.

pollypenny · 27 January 2018 at 9:34AM

My father died in 2003. I don’t recall any problem with fees, but I was not allowed to remove his personal possessions until probate.

Bit of a fuss for a television, radio, clothes and books.

PasturesNew · 27 January 2018 at 9:40AM

I knew about the charging for a month after they've died before we signed. We had to sign as you don't really have much choice at the time, you have to choose a home at fairly short notice and it has to be the right location, the right price, able to take those needs, you have to visit them to check them .... etc etc - all while dealing with the person's household in another town and visiting them in hospital in another town ....

So you sign anyway.

In the event - the final week or so were provided under NHS Continuing Care after hospital discharge and as the contract was being paid by them we had £0 to pay as giving notice etc was all under the agreement the home had with them. We didn't have to give notice at all, saved us £4k in total from memory. When discharged we did have to pay the bill for the first couple of weeks, but then some nurse woman "signed off" the order that got us out of the firing line for the final/empty room bill. Not really sure as I never had the conversation.

You do begrudge the money... a whole month is an unreasonable amount of time to have set as a rigid amount.

tooldle · 27 January 2018 at 1:16PM

Not had to pay the charge yet as mum is still with us. However i have noticed that rooms are not occupied straight after death, in this home. New residents are not always able to act promptly with a move. When my mum was offered a room, it took me just over a week to get all the necessary paperwork together and to get her moved. I won’t be able to clear her room asap either, as i will need to organise transport. Allow some extra time for redecorating, recarpeting etc and i can see how a changeover of residents could take a number of weeks.

quietheart · 27 January 2018 at 2:07PM

We stopped paying the day my dad died. We cleared his room the following day and it was relet within a week.

Kim_13 · 27 January 2018 at 3:01PM

Did not know about this either. At the least I think there should be a discount on the normal rate, since they're not having to provide food or care for the person any longer. If there has to be a notice period, I think it should end when the room is re-let, if earlier. If some homes are getting two lots of fees, cake and eating it comes to mind.

WillowCat · 27 January 2018 at 9:51PM

We collected my gran's possessions the day after she died, they billed us only up to the date of death.

However, although she was self funding the council had arranged the placement and signed the contract (we then paid the council) so may have had different rules than if we had contracted ourselves.

panagia · 28 January 2018 at 1:19PM

Not a care home as such, but a support home/supported housing for the disabled. A resident died suddenly and unexpectedly, and it took ages (weeks) for the coroners report to come through as the cause of death was unclear. Meanwhile they wanted to clear the room of her possessions so that they could re-let it to another person. It all got really messy.

ossettbob · 6 February 2018 at 8:53AM

When my wife received the contract for her sister`s nursing home, it gave the charge period of 2 weeks after she died. Wife had to accept this as she only received the contract after her sister had been in the home for 10 months !. Her sister died on 2 January & her room was cleared the day after. As up-front payment was paid by direct debit on 2nd the nursing home owed £1975 to the estate. Still not received this. Their payment terms are the 1st of every month in advance by direct debit. If not paid on that date, they charge interest on a daily basis. However, they do not like paying money back. They also had cash in account for hairdresser etc. & my wife had to demand this payment when it had not been paid back in a month. With nursing homes it is all money, money, money !!

Have you dealt with a care home after a loved one’s death?

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