Please Help

dacks

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Although this isn't what you're asking, I wonder if you'd thought of claiming Pension Credit (this would also pay your rent) rather than working. This would enable you to look after your mother.

Thank you - I am going to look into that

bestpud

So what about the grandchildren?

Can they help out if you did a rota?

I'm sure even a drug addict can manage the shopping with a list, can't they? Or a bit of cleaning?

If you can arrange that sort of care between you, you may be able to pay for the rest?

Becles

My Gran had Alzheimer's and she often forgot to have meals and take her tablets. Social services got involved and they managed to arrange for a carer to go in first thing in the morning and check she was up and had breakfast and they did her tablets.

We managed to get her into some day clubs, so a few times a week she was collected and had her lunch out. She really enjoyed those days out. On Sundays she alternated between having her lunch at my Mam's or her sons. My uncle called in on Saturday lunchtime and my Mam called in on the remaining weekday lunchtimes to check she'd eaten as she works afternoons close by.

On evenings we had a rota and we'd take turns going through and making sure she'd had some tea, checking she had enough food in, running her a bath if she needed one, etc. If any cleaning needed doing we'd help out, but she didn't like it so we'd have to say things like "oh I'll just run the hoover round while you're in the bath as I'll be bored just sitting"

My Mam took her laundry away and did that, and took her shopping when she needed clothes.

It was hard work, but if you draw up a rota and can all take a turn, it's not too bad and it means one person doesn't get burdened with all of the jobs.

dacks

Hi
Thanks for your reply Becles,

We will draw up a rota tomorrow evening and I will make copies so everyone knows what they are doing and what say they are doing it!

Thanks

notlongnow_2

Has receiving this amount of money affected your sisters entitlements? Maybe she has had her benefits stopped as she has a lot of money in the bank, therefore unable to pay her mum back. I maybe wrong...it was just a thought.

Kay_Peel

It looks to me as though the Local Authority views the disposal of assets by your mother as a "deliberate deprivation". In other words, that your mother gave away her money for the express purpose of avoiding the costs of her care. In these cases (and I'm no expert) I believe that they assess your mother as though she were still in possession of all her money.

Age Concern do a fact sheet on Deliberate Deprivation:

http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/transfer-of-assets.asp

Hope that helps.

seven-day-weekend

Probably if she had given everyone £1000 instead of £10,000 the Authorities would not now be seeing it as deprivation of capital.

You also said she 'shops'.

In other words, they will look upon it that that she has deliberately 'wasted' her money and now is now asking for State help for her care needs. This is why they will not grant it, as if she had not wasted (in their eyes) the money, she would now have enough to fund her own care.

Which is true, really.

Cranny44

Hi There

I work for a LA and tell clients about paying for care. What sort of care are they talking about? If it is domicillary (home) care then there is no deprevation of assets under the fairer charging rules and so they cannot treat her as though she had the money. If she is entering a residential home then the onus is on the LA to prove that a client deliberatly gave away the money to avoid paying the fees. (Our LA manages to prove that very little unless its blatently obvious and done the day before emteromg care for example)
The LA you are with should have a review panel and you can always ask for them to look at this and reduce the charges if they wont budge on the other. Although wrong advice should be a good one to point out to them if this has caused their policy to be applied in this way, also most LAs jump when local councillors/MPs get involved too if you know who yours is.

I am under the impression that although all LAs work to the fairer charging policy that was brought out it is only guidelines and we do vary from LA to LA.