Parents selling home for bungalow - profits question relating to care in home

bargainbasement

Hello not sure where to post this but hopefully someone can direct me. My mum is in a care home at the moment following a 4week stay in hosp, unfortunately she cannot return home at the moment as the house layout is unsuitable for her needs, wheelchair
, hoist etc. Dad is selling the house for a bungalow where we have been told that once necessary adaptions have been made prob just bathroom to wet room she can return home.

My question is about the profit made on the house - say there is £20k profit as the house is in joint names £10kwould be mams which would take her over capital threshold of £23k. I am guessing 'profit' is after all fees deducted what about if some of the profit was going back into adaptions for the house for mam say £7k for wet room/ramp etc would the council work on 'profit' being £13k thus keeping her under threshold?

Any advice gratefully received I am learning care funding is a minefield!

Mojisola

If she's coming home to the bungalow, there won't be any care home fees to pay so her capital won't matter then.

Her first twelve weeks in a care home will be funded by the LA - 12 week disregard.

It is completely acceptable to use the difference between the cost of the old house and the new one to adapt the new one for her.

Don't just think about the bathroom - would a new bed/mattress make her life easier - maybe an electric one to help her sit up, would she be better off with a new chair (easy riser or lay back for naps?), is the flooring right for someone with mobility problems, are their white goods old (replace with energy-efficient, more convenient ones - my parents had a fridge with drawers in it which was much easier for them to use), etc. While there is a little capital to play with, would changing their car for one that's easier for her to get in and out off or has space to transport a wheelchair be a good idea?

bargainbasement

Hi there Mojisola, there would be care costs as when my mam comes home she will have 4-5 care visits per day to see to her personal needs. So what I was trying to determine was if any 'profit' i.e. change in her capital, would be looked at after adaptions to the new home. If this was the case her final capital would still remain under the threshold ...

Sorry if I am not making myself clear!

Mojisola

The things I've mentioned wouldn't count as deprivation as capital so if paying out for them reduced her capital, there shouldn't be a problem.

Make sure your parents claim for whatever benefits they are entitled to - it all helps towards paying for carers.

pmlindyloo

Also make sure that you get all the financial help that may be available for adapting the home. Your mum's social worker should be able to arrange people to visit and give you all the aids you need.

bargainbasement

Thanks this sounds reassuring, mams social worker was trying to find out from the finance assessment team so I will try and clarify.

As for adaptions I mentioned the wet room being an obvious one but thanks for the mention of flooring as they will need wooden flooring for the wheelchair. Any other ideas most welcome of what you think they could need. With regard to the car my dad has one through motibility but he will need a one for a wheelchair to be wheeled straight in, is this a cost they would have to foot or something which would be covered by motibility..?

Thanks all

Mojisola

bargainbasement wrote: »

As for adaptions I mentioned the wet room being an obvious one but thanks for the mention of flooring as they will need wooden flooring for the wheelchair. Any other ideas most welcome of what you think they could need. With regard to the car my dad has one through motibility but he will need a one for a wheelchair to be wheeled straight in, is this a cost they would have to foot or something which would be covered by motibility..?

Isn't that his choice? If he buys a suitable car and no longer needs one from Mobility then the DLA won't have to be handed over and will give them more weekly income.

sunnyone

If your mum needs an electric bed the NHS will provide one, they are better than most of the ones on the market, they are serviced yearly and if your mum needs a specialist pressure reducing mattress they are provided and changed if her needs change.

The floors dont have to be wood, the lino you get today it idea for wheelchairs, tiles are great and short pile carpets are fine.

Motability will allow them to change the car, they would be unlikely to get a grant for the advanced payment while they have capital available but you can get rear entry WAVS for about £500 deposit.

There is a good second hand WAV market today, you can pick up low mileage rear entry WAVS for a fair price at the numerous dealers, EBAY has pages of them. I prefer to sit up front or drive from my powerchair on occasion and these types of WAV while becoming easier to find are still very, very expensive in comparison to rear entry ones. For example my car new is over £70,000, we cant afford anywhere near that so we bought a second hand one instead as like your parents we have capital so we have to either pay a massive deposit (over £30,000:eek:) or do as we have done and buy.

There is no his and hers home selling profits when it comes to home adaptions/aids, social services financial assessments or motability grants, they are a couple so it their money and it is savings once the new home is purchased no matter what it is ear marked for its just seen as savings until its spent and then they want you to account for every penny.