Selling home to pay care home fees?

Squoozy

Nikkim

My mother is in a care home suffering from Alzheimer's. We were unable to get an assessment for continuing care even though she had been admitted into hospital originally under section 2 of the mental health act and was in a hospital for the mentally ill for several weeks before she went into care having been assessed as unable to return home. My understanding is that it is extremely difficult to get funding for continuous care (you basically have to be almost dead) and we more or less gave up even asking. We have managed to rent her home, and just about break even after paying her care fees, costs etc and making sure she has a small amount each week for spending money, which she loves having and hides in various places in her room. We have a deferred payment scheme in place with the local council (they should be able to tell you about this) and are now very happy with the arrangement. You do need to work out all the bills, house insurance etc but it could be a solution for you.

To all those saying that elderly people should pay for thier care, I agree that if an elderly person has chosen to go into a home because they are worried about managing at home then they should pay. For someone like my mother who is suffering from an illness I am disgusted that the funding is not available for her. She worked right up to retirement age and had a part time job in a shop until she was 73. She paid N.I contributions for health care throughout that time. When she finally needed care it wasn't available to her. That is wrong in my opinion.

I hope that you manage to find all the information you need and can find a solution that works for your family. I actually found the local council quite helpful. Age UK were also very helpful and gave me quite a lot of advice.

gingerfox

Squoozy wrote: »

Nikkim

My mother is in a care home suffering from Alzheimer's. We were unable to get an assessment for continuing care even though she had been admitted into hospital originally under section 2 of the mental health act and was in a hospital for the mentally ill for several weeks before she went into care having been assessed as unable to return home. My understanding is that it is extremely difficult to get funding for continuous care (you basically have to be almost dead) and we more or less gave up even asking. We have managed to rent her home, and just about break even after paying her care fees, costs etc and making sure she has a small amount each week for spending money, which she loves having and hides in various places in her room. We have a deferred payment scheme in place with the local council (they should be able to tell you about this) and are now very happy with the arrangement. You do need to work out all the bills, house insurance etc but it could be a solution for you.

To all those saying that elderly people should pay for thier care, I agree that if an elderly person has chosen to go into a home because they are worried about managing at home then they should pay. For someone like my mother who is suffering from an illness I am disgusted that the funding is not available for her. She worked right up to retirement age and had a part time job in a shop until she was 73. She paid N.I contributions for health care throughout that time. When she finally needed care it wasn't available to her. That is wrong in my opinion.

I hope that you manage to find all the information you need and can find a solution that works for your family. I actually found the local council quite helpful. Age UK were also very helpful and gave me quite a lot of advice.

I'm sure you are entitled to have that assessment, and can elect to be present to put your views forward. In any case, you can submit your own assessment. The process (Decision Support Tool) has to be followed, although there is much room to be judgmental.

nikkim1990

Thank you both for your replies and advice.

CWSmith

Errata wrote: »

Rent the house out, use the rental money, state pension, attendance allowance and any private pension to tund the care home fees.

This is exactly what we did when my mum went into a nursing home.
The fees were about £2500 a month. The house rent was £1,100 (after letting management fees) and with her pension and attendance allowance we were about £300 short every month, which we made up. The tax (£800 in total) we ignored at the time - it got paid out of the estate after she died.

The whole process was ridiculously easy. The letting agency handled everything brilliantly, from coming to see the house and giving me advice, it was let out within a fortnight.

I would advise anyone in a similar situation to give it a go. What have you got to lose?

bee252_2

Errata wrote: »

Rent the house out, use the rental money, state pension, attendance allowance and any private pension to tund the care home fees.

Unfortunately the monthly rental of a property doesn't usually come close to the monthly cost of care charges. Regardless of pensions and attendance allowance. Average care these days is approx £750-900 per week.

Mojisola

bee252 wrote: »

Unfortunately the monthly rental of a property doesn't usually come close to the monthly cost of care charges. Regardless of pensions and attendance allowance. Average care these days is approx £750-900 per week.

It's still worth doing the sums. My Dad's care home fees are around £500.

Errata

Mojisola wrote: »

It's still worth doing the sums. My Dad's care home fees are around £500.

Indeed it is: SRP c £110, AA £97, funded nursing care element c£100 (all per week) + rent would easily cover that.

loulou123

Sorry OP this is a "little" off topic...

In the care home I work in we have fully funded residents (ie they have no money of their own or they are funded through continuing health care,) people who top up government funding through their own savings/or their husbands/wifes etc and people who are fully private paying all their own fees...they ALL receive exactly the same care and attention (obviously dependant on the individuals needs.) The fact they are fee paying or not doesn't even come into it.

Obviously I can't say what happens in other homes, but I think its important to know that in at least some homes, the standards of care does NOT depend on who and how your paying the bill.

Biggles

loulou123 wrote: »

they ALL receive exactly the same care and attention (obviously dependant on the individuals needs.) The fact they are fee paying or not doesn't even come into it.

I think that's understood, but the real issue is when a resident finds they have to call on the local authority for their care. The LA will not necessarily carry on funding the person in the same home, they will look at what's available in their area and the costs involved, which might mean the person moving to a new home against their will.

bargain_babs

read this and sign

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/44333

also good article

http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/showthread.php?35583-Your-Right-to-Free-Care

we can afford foreign aid (and where does it go?)
but not aid for our pensioners?
somethings not right somewhere