Adult Social Care

Errata

Ed, that's a good summing up of where we are now.

The problem of who funds the has only popped onto most peoples radar screens because of the phenomenal house price increase over the last 20 years.

A property in the north of England bought for £8 or 9k in the mid 80's could be sold for ten times that 20 years later.

People have become very sensitive about a current value of their property, although they will have done little or nothing to achieve that value other than live there.

Mrs_pbradley936

EdInvestor wrote: »

Anybody else know?

It seems that people fall into a category called "Independent Supported Living" or not! Not just older people but also those who have had learning difficulties and their parents are no longer able to look after them. I only know that because there is a woman aged 54 living in a flat below my brother in that situation. She is not allowed to have gas in the place and my brother is forever having to liaise with her social worker because she does odd things such as blocking up the drains with her friends' incontinence underwear.

Her mother's house was sold and the proceeds bought the flat and remainder is held in Trust and living expensed dished out monthly by a solicitor. She cannot be considered for residential care until she is 60. Older people still in this category are in say warden assisted places in that they pay their own living expenses and someone is nearby should they need help.

Errata

EdInvestor wrote: »

Anybody else know?

1948 National Assistance Act.

EdInvestor

Errata wrote: »

People have become very sensitive about a current value of their property, although they will have done little or nothing to achieve that value other than live there.

Is that fair? In most cases they will have saved a deposit and paid off a mortgage, at considerably higher cost than a subsidised council rental, particularly in the days when mortgage rates were typically double digit.

Even in those cases where the right to buy discount is involved, council tenants were after all offered the opportunity by the Government to participate in building family wealth through home ownership - and they too had to pay a mortgage.

It is easy to see how galling it would be to have the same Government turn round 20 or 30 years later and take the all the gains away through the care funding means test.Anyone experiencing this would be bound to feel cheated.

It is a similar problem to the one affecting those who have saved for their old age but find themselves worse off than those who haven't, because their savings push them just beyond the level where they could claim benefits.This is another issue that isn't going to go away.

margaretclare

Errata wrote: »

1948 National Assistance Act.

Ah. Was this called 'Part III accommodation'? As in 'Cathy Come Home'?

Errata

margaretclare wrote: »

Ah. Was this called 'Part III accommodation'? As in 'Cathy Come Home'?

No idea. The Act resulted from the charitable, private and county council asylum provision being brought into the newly formed NHS, which considerably predates the TV play.

EdInvestor

Errata wrote: »

No idea. The Act resulted from the charitable, private and county council asylum provision being brought into the newly formed NHS, which considerably predates the TV play.

Actually I was asking about the next step,some time later, when the NHS offloaded responsibility for care of dementia patients back onto the councils.

Errata

EdInvestor wrote: »

Actually I was asking about the next step,some time later, when the NHS offloaded responsibility for care of dementia patients back onto the councils.

Before 1946/48 county councils were responsible for care of people with dementia who couldn't be cared for in a domestic home. The National Assistance act removed that responsibility from county councils and placed it with district local authorities. For many years after that many people with dementia continued to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals with the cost falling on the NHS. Others were placed in council homes. I have no idea what the ratio of council funded to self funded places was then.

Mrs_pbradley936

A bit about Care in the Communiy here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Care_in_the_Community

I seem to recall Virginia Bottomley having something to do with this.

Anyway it all centers around who should foot the bill. Is it the NHS or is it the Council? Perhaps the some funding row happened with this as with children requiring special needs funding. Years ago the funding followed the child in that a child would be seen by a psychiatrist at a Child Guidance Clinic who would rule out mental health issues if necessary and then make a referral to an Educational psychologist. To cut a long story short if the child had a mental health problem the NHS would foot the bill but if it was an educational problem then the LEA would have to pick up the tab. Always the funding would follow the child. That is no longer the case and it takes forever to get a child "statemented" now. Oh and they have largely done away with "special schools" for these children.

EdInvestor

Errata wrote: »

The National Assistance act removed that responsibility from county councils and placed it with district local authorities. For many years after that many people with dementia continued to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals with the cost falling on the NHS.

Looks like the bottom line question then is when did the NHS close down the psychiatric hospitals?