Care Home Funding (what if mum sold me her house!?)

Gavin83

Despera wrote: »

Just a thought.

Could it work out cheaper - if that's the OP's intention - to hire a nurse to take care of her mother in her own house? This way she will get the care she needs and the house will stay in the family. If OP's mother's house is very expensive then it might make sense financially to invest in home help instead of selling it.

As someone who has experience in this area that would work out a lot more expensive if their care needs were great enough to warrant a care home. That's the reason so many people go into care instead of taking this option, the majority of people would prefer to remain in their homes after all.

Despera

Gavin83 wrote: »

As someone who has experience in this area that would work out a lot more expensive if their care needs were great enough to warrant a care home. That's the reason so many people go into care instead of taking this option, the majority of people would prefer to remain in their homes after all.

I admit I am not very well familiar with the care home issue but I understand that one of the reasons people go there is because they cannot take care of themselves. It does depend on the severity of their condition of course. But if it is a matter of providing general care and there is OP who is willing to do it, with help of a nurse/other medical professional then s/he might like to look into it, if it helps her keep the house in the family.

ETA: Again depends on the house value: would remortgaging it help pay the fees? Or the OP finding a way to fund it? Surely there must be a way that's works out better than selling her mother's home which understandably would be a heartbreaking decision and not only in the financial sense.

Gavin83

If her needs aren't that great the OP looking after her is certainly an option. Homecare help can be provided and depending on her income and home borough may even be free. However for a council to fund a care home placement the needs have to be severe and I think an untrained person would struggle without several nurses and specialist equipment.

If your self funding you can go into the home whenever you like although the house will still have to be sold. You also run the risk of the council removing her when the money does run out if they deem that the needs aren't great enough.

I very much doubt the OP would be willing to give up work, their home and their life to care for the elderly relative though, they just want the money.

Mojisola

Despera wrote: »

Could it work out cheaper - if that's the OP's intention - to hire a nurse to take care of her mother in her own house? This way she will get the care she needs and the house will stay in the family. If OP's mother's house is very expensive then it might make sense financially to invest in home help instead of selling it.

My parents are receiving help from me and some paid care at the moment. When they start to need someone around more frequently, I hope to use a live-in carer. I've been in contact with a couple of companies and the basic cost is around £750 a week for someone to live in and do housework, shopping, cooking, etc. They have to have a couple of hours off at some point each day.

If more is needed in the way of care, the price increases.

It is expensive but cheaper than them both going into residential care and they will get to stay in their own home.

pearl123

If your mother's home had also been your home for maybe 30-50 years and you had been her long-term carer for this period of time - then perhaps you could fight it out not to sell the/your home for care home costs. But this does not seem to be the case with you.

If you want to preserve your inheritance then become a at home carer to your mother, as others have suggested. This would probably mean giving up work and even your own health. A hard route - check out carers org and carers uk forums to see how exhausting this is !

The logical thing would be to see a solisitor if you really want to see if/ and how you can keep your mothers house without selling it.

monkeyspanner

gandalftheking wrote: »

Because care costs are ridiculous for what you get. I don't want to get into the debate of the morality of this though; it was merely a request for info. Thanks for all the replies. Going to look into discretionary trusts...

Have you asked your Mum what her plans are if her health declines? You may find she would stay in her own home and have at home care subsidised by the social services. You will find the social services will support elderly people in their wish to stay at home even if the family are concerned about the elderly persons safety.

The value of the house would be ignored if a partner or dependant child/disabled adult also lived in the house.

You could have a look at immediate care needs anuities. Don't come cheap (expect a six figure purchase cost dependant on health) but would give a fixed or escalating income for life. So the capital loss is fixed.

Even if your avoidance scheme works I would not expect the level of financial assistance provided by the council to be able to provide the better quality of care home.

savingmummy

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Stop trying to defraud the system! If you want your mother to avoid care home fees, look after her yourself.

I have to agree!
Sell HER home she worked hard to get so she gets good professional care - She may aswell live happily and comfortable from now on if she is unwell and unable to live alone without care.

Indout96

Sell HER home she worked hard to get so she gets good professional care - She may aswell live happily and comfortable from now on if she is unwell and unable to live alone without care.

She will get exactly the same care as the person in the next room who pays nothing due to spending their money rather than saving or house purchase. My mother in law gets no better treatment for the house she had to sell than most of the residents of the home she is in who pay / paid nothing.

Errata

Indout96 wrote: »

She will get exactly the same care as the person in the next room who pays nothing due to spending their money rather than saving or house purchase. My mother in law gets no better treatment for the house she had to sell than most of the residents of the home she is in who pay / paid nothing.[/QUOTE]

They use their SRP to part fund their care, hardly 'nothing'.

Person_one

Indout96 wrote: »

She will get exactly the same care as the person in the next room who pays nothing due to spending their money rather than saving or house purchase. My mother in law gets no better treatment for the house she had to sell than most of the residents of the home she is in who pay / paid nothing.

How do you know the person in the next room spent their money? Maybe they never made enough to save/buy a property? Maybe they slogged for 50+ years at a low paid job and don't deserve to be thrown on the scrapheap and left to rot in their old age for the crime of being poor?

Life isn't fair I'm afraid. I'd rather be comfortably off and own my home even if it means losing it to fund care later in life than to be either struggling all my life or cr*p with money. Wouldn't you?