Dad in need of nursing home care but we got no money!

MartialArtMan

Our 89 year old father has dementia, parkinson's and numerous other illnesses that mean he requires full time care. He is currently in the hospital and we have been told to start looking for a nursing home for him.

He lives in a Council house with his wife, they have no savings or any assets to speak of. We have been told that he is entitled to benefits of £580'ish a month towards the costs of care with the average nursing home fees being £500 per week!!! We have been told that we will need to find the balance.

Needless to say that we, like most others I guess, are generally skint and can barely afford to keep our heads above water with our own families let alone find an extra £1500 a month.

What should we do?

alanq

A complicated subject. Perhaps talk to one or more charities about your father's rights. AgeUK has produced a number of fact sheets so perhaps you could start there.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/publications/age-uk-information-guides-and-factsheets/

dzug1

It sounds harsh - but walk away from the problem. Let social services sort it out.

You are not legally or financially responsible for him unless you choose to be. You can't afford to choose to be.

iolanthe07

Provided his assets are less than £22000 (this figure may be wrong, but it is around there) the local authority have to pick up the tab for his care. dzug1 is right - no one can make you pay, so do not be bullied or coerced through conscience into doing so.

AndyNorwich

Quite straight forward dont take any advice on this matter off people on here no disrespect to anyone but im sure people will give conflicting stories, Id just go to the citizens advice bureau and explain your problems to them. They will point you in the right direction

Mrs_Boo_Boo

Hi there. Its a bloody nightmare apart from the guilt at having to place a relative in a home.
I do not work for Social Services but am in a team where this happens all the time. I have a smattering of knowledge but please confirm this with the Social Services rep as I've only picked this up through work.
Yes there can be a third party top up if you choose a home where the fees are more than Social Services will pay. You may have to consider another home who accept Social Services fees.
Has a Continuing Care assessment been completed or at least the decision support tool to determine if he is eligable? This is NHS funded care and is fully funded. Unfortunately you have to be practically dead to get it but its worth a go. The person has to have mainly medical input and no dementia is not weighted unless there are behavioural,management issues. I know my mother-in-law has dementia but no other health problems and could not remain at home on her own, but because its not classed as medical she cannot get it. She has a house and so we get no funding.Get in contact with your Dad's District Nurse,GP or CPN (community psychiatric nurse).
Good Luck,its not easy

monkeyspanner

As Mrs BOO Boo says have a look at NHS funded continuing healthcare there is a long thread about this on this forum just do a search on CHC and you will find the thread. If your father's needs are primarily health rather than social there is a slim chance you might be lucky with this non-means tested funding. There is an obligation under CRAG rules that an initial assessment for CHC is carried out prior to discharge from hospital if the patient is being discharged to a care home. And you can request a full assessment. The local PCT is responsible for CHC assessments.

As CHC funding is likely to involve a struggle you will most likely be dealing with council social services financial support at least initially. I am assuming he is in England as the rules in Wales and Scotland are different.

My initial advice would be don't be railroaded into a rapid discharge by the hospital and social services. The social services are responsible to assist in funding up to I believe one of 4 assessed care levels if your father's savings are under £23500. He will be expected to contribute any income and pension including state pension towards the cost of his care and then the social services will top up to the assessed care need funding level. The first £22/week (approx) of his income is excluded from the assessment. Your father cannot pay the top-up from the remaining income or savings.

If the patient or family opt for a care home which costs more than the standard funding then the social services can ask family or friends for a 3rd party top-up.
BUT
-You cannot be forced to contribute.
AND
-The council cannot ask for a top-up if they cannot find a alternative placement at the standard funding level. If they cannot find that alternative they are under an obligation to fund the top-up required.

On top of the council payments there is an NHS funded nursing supplement of I think £101/week he may be entitled to but this is generally paid direct to the home and is unlikely to reduce the fees but you should be aware that this could be paid and also know how this affects the overall finances.

For more information and a good telephone advice service you could have a look at www.counselandcare.org.uk

I hope this helps and good luck.

Primrose

Hospitals sometimes have a very crafty way of not disclosing to relatives that they are not legally or financially responsible for the nursing home fees of anybody who is not their spouse. I suggest you contact Social Services and ask for a proper Continuing Care assessment to be made of your father's needs.

cavework

Hi OP.
Just gone through the same thing myself. In my fathers case he had a stroke aged 87 leaving him unable to walk on his own, severe dysphasia, vascular dementia and other problems requiring 24/7 care.
We had a case review in the hospital with the Hospital Social worker and key medical staff where we discussed funding as he could not return home ( my mother is 84).We signed a form agreeing to funding by Adult Social Care.
The funding is made up by a contribution by Adult Care (Social Services) all his pension and half his occupational pension plus sometimes a payment for nursing fees, but Social Services should sort that out as it is included in their contribution.
If you require a top up and your Father served in the armed forces at any time or during WW2 contact SSAFA, they have been brilliant in my case.
Also was he in any Unions during his working life?, They do contribute to Nursing Home fees in some circumstances.
Please make sure you contact DWP and get them to come out and asses your fathers benefits AND importantly your Mothers as they will both be treated as individual claimants instead of a married couple now they live apart so your mothers benefits should increase.
You can apply to become the apointee for your fathers pension as this will not be paid directly to the home. They will visit your Father in the home and then yourself. It is a simple proceedure and you do not require POA.
Get in touch with the hospital Social worker and they will explain the process to you.
Hope this is of some help.
TC xxx

arunadasi

monkeyspanner wrote: »

If the patient or family opt for a care home which costs more than the standard funding then the social services can ask family or friends for a 3rd party top-up.
.

Hello! Does anyone know what the standard funding is? My husband has a nursing care insurance policy (from Germany); would this count as third party if he has to pay top up fees?
Thanks for any help.

Trebor16

a.wallace0106 wrote: »

Quite straight forward dont take any advice on this matter off people on here no disrespect to anyone but im sure people will give conflicting stories, Id just go to the citizens advice bureau and explain your problems to them. They will point you in the right direction

Citizens Advice Bureau is the last place on earth I would go for advice on this subject. I suspect their laypeople know nothing about the issues surrounding care and nursing homes and whether or not a person has primary health needs and should be fully funded by the NHS.