Questions to ask re Care Homes ?

Biggles

EdInvestor wrote: »

Re the money side, have a look at this:

The "immediate needs annuity" which guarantees and caps the cost can be very useful, and good value for money depending on the person.

I'd like to second that suggestion from Ed, Soolin. Take a look at the link in his previous post.

The money from the sale of your dad's home will need to pay for his care, and the immediate needs annuity is probably the best way to do it. The alternative is to watch his funds diminish year by year.

soolin

Thank you everyone.

OK, I've not been sleeping so I've been up and downloaded the POA form (thank you for the link) and think that if the hospital allow me to do so I will get this new one signed and start afresh with it. I've still got to find out where to file it and the costs, but I think I have a leaflet about that in the towering pile behind me on the table! It's getting urgent as I have a second notification from the gas people saying that I must have essential work done on the house without delay as I am in breach of all sorts of regulations by knowingly having a gas escape at Dad's property.

I should just add that gas wise Dad's house is not unsafe as the gas board have disconnected the service..I just need access to dad's money to get a CORGI man in to take up floorboards and lay new pipes.

I've made a list for the hospital meeting and will be firmer with them today. The problem is there are so many of them and just me and they make me feel guilty by suggesting that I am being difficult and am not doing the best for dad.

I'm going to insist that we do it all properly and ensure that when discharge becomes possible that a full assessment is made for dad jointly between the hospital and SS. No one even checked the home I chose before, should I ask them to do it next time or just go on my instinct?

The real problem is though that social services are unlikely to be represented again at the meeting today and the hospital will just tell me that none of this is anything to do with them and I need to track down my social worker.

I think the horrid thing is that the stress of dealing with the official bodies and trying to sort out the house is taking away time I would prefer to spend with dad, but I suppose that is how it must be.

I am reading through all the web links now and printing off useful stuff, and am also marking the relevant bits from the papers I got from the Alzheimers society. It just seems a shame that whilst official bodies are paid to help with this sort of problem, the best help I have had so far by a long way has been on here and from a charity (Alzheimers).

soolin

Biggles wrote: »

I'd like to second that suggestion from Ed, Soolin. Take a look at the link in his previous post.

The money from the sale of your dad's home will need to pay for his care, and the immediate needs annuity is probably the best way to do it. The alternative is to watch his funds diminish year by year.

Thank you, I'm not ignoring this suggestion I have put it side to look at next and am trying to sort out the immediate problems first. My brain is so full I lay there at night and can't seem to keep all the information in :eek:

Biggles

Couple more points, Soolin (sorry, I know you've got enough to think about but hopefully these will be helpful).

There's plenty of help re registering the PoA on the Public Guardianship site at
http://www.guardianship.gov.uk/theservice/enduringpower.htm

I understand what you're saying about getting the house suitable for sale but I should take the advice of one or two estate agents before spending any money (except the minimum the gas company says must be spent to make it safe only) until you've got their advice. A friend of mine is an estate agent and he advised not spending anything on Mum's house as he said the expense wouldn't be recouped in the sale. And he was proved right, as we got nearly as much as if it had been in good condition.

Obviously, the issue of taking out an immediate needs annuity doesn't need addressing till you've got the house on the market.

soolin

Well I'm home. They have said dad can probably be discharged Friday and if I am not willing to agree to fund place from last Monday then they'll put him in respite and expect me to pay cash up front. They also said that respite would cost a lot of money, so on balance it is better to waste a weeks care home fees rather than put him somewhere he doesn't need in another borough. Luckily the home has not agreed fees with social services for the person that took dad's allocated bed, so they have accepted the deal.

To make sure dad is in the best place I have therefore agreed to fund the care home place near me and back date it a few days, but I'm just hoping now that he is discharged on Friday otherwise I'll be wasting dad's money.

I did take the print off of the POA with me and they agreed it could be signed and witnessed. I'm just printing off the registration form now and will send it all off tomorrow.

Again thank you everyone.

Biggles

Soolin, bear in mind that, if you get the EPA completed tomorrow, by definition it means that your father still has 'mental capacity', thus the EPA is valid and can be used as it stands from tomorrow.

What I'm saying is that, before you go through the registration procedure give some thought to the following:-

Registration may take some little time, as you have to give written notice on form EP1 to the donor and three of the nearest relatives. Then you have to send off form EP2, with the EPA, to register it. Registration, as I understand it, will not be before 35 days from the date the notices were sent and will probably be at least another week or more after that.

However, if you have things you need to do in your dad's name, you can take the original EPA with you (to the bank, for example) and get yourself set up as the Attorney before you register the EPA. But never let the EPA out of your sight, it's irreplaceable. If someone requires that you send them a copy, get a solicitor to make a 'certified copy' and this will be accepted by everyone. In fact, to be honest, you should really get a certified copy made anyway before you do anything, it could be very useful for a variety of purposes until you have a registered copy. And it will be valid until your dad has lost mental capacity.

soolin

Just an update: Dad moved to the home last friday after I agreed that I would fund the week in hand as part of the 12 week 'set off' thingy that social services do. Home has agreement (faxed but not in a contract form) that SS would pay and I would start to settle my bills via social services in 12 weeks.

Just had call from home, they have received no funds at all from ss and when the proprietor called ss denied all knowledge of the situation and said that dad was to pay direct or that daughter (ie me) would have to pay. The manager called me to say home owner wants his money otherwise he will evict dad, so we are all desperately trying to get hold of named social worker again, who is as usual ignoring our calls.

We are also trying ss direct but they have bene engaged now for nearly an hour so no joy there at all.

Am off now to appointments with banks and building society to wave my power of attorney form at them (these were the first appointments I could get).

I can't believe that social services can say one thing and then completely deny it later, you really couldn't make this up!

mary43

Demand to speak to social workers manager. They all have one. It's dispicable that they can behave like this.
Good luck and if you have no joy with soc.services put in an official complaint about how they have dealt with the situation.