Care cost

greenglide

Was that because you were looking to a budget?
Were there any at say 50-100% more that you just didn't bother to look at?

We werent looking to a budget because we didnt have a clue how much they charged.

We werent aware of any 50% or 100% more than the rest but they may have been in posher areas than we considered.

Keep_pedalling

I am currently going through the process of trying to get my mum into full time care. She does not own a house lives on state pension plus pension credit and she has few savings, so is not self funding.

Having looked round a number of care homes I am happy with the quality of the homes the the LA will pay for but the stumbling block is getting financial sign off as at seems that being 90, having little mobility, chronic pain and a number of falls does not make her a high enough priority, although I have a 3rd meeting with social services this week where hopefully things might change.

Funding is only going to get worse, so the question you should be asking yourself not how can I avoid care costs, but how can I make sure We have the assets to keep us comfortable, safe and well cared for in my old age.

Our pensions, savings and house are our guarantee that we are going to be OK, if we don't need it then our children will benefit from a decent inheritance, but by then, hopefully, they will be mortgage free and near retirement age so won't need it.

Mojisola

greenglide wrote: »

We looked at 5 or 6 and they all charge around the same price. While I wouldnt actively want to live in any of them they were all better than I had imagined them to be.

I'm surprised at that - there are homes that vary from the council's rate to over £1,200 a week in our town - all within a few miles of each other.

Keep_pedalling

Mojisola wrote: »

I'm surprised at that - there are homes that vary from the council's rate to over £1,200 a week in our town - all within a few miles of each other.

Same here, several hundred pounds difference. We paid for 2 weeks respite care over Christmas @ £950 a week but it could have been more, or less if some of the alternative homes had a room available.

A lot of homes have spare rooms as there are not enough self funders to fill them, and LAs are reluctant to fund people other than those in dire need, which is why quite a few have closed down recently.

greenglide

Yes, but what area of the country?

The nearer to London, the larger the variation?

the stumbling block is getting financial sign off as at seems that being 90, having little mobility, chronic pain and a number of falls does not make her a high enough priority

It took us a while as well but my mother in law had dementia, had had a fall which broke her hip, was in an NHS / Social Services rehabilitation centre. Social services took her home to see how she would manage at home and she couldnt find her way round her own home. At this point money was found (LA funding pending sale of house) and she is now in the care home we wanted.

It could so easily have gone wrong in so many ways.

Mojisola

greenglide wrote: »

Yes, but what area of the country?

The nearer to London, the larger the variation?

Not in my case - well away from London!

downshifter98

Humans weren't designed to survive old age when they are no longer able to look after themselves and this wasn't a problem 50 years ago when the majority of people popped their clogs before they got to this stage. So the 'catch' to modern life is that we can survive for longer than is natural and often this involves much resource (money plus effort of others) to achieve this. We all fool ourselves into thinking that what assets we have are ours to control but as has already been mentioned as old age beckons even giving money away is not easy. Personally I suspect that finding myself unable to care for myself and unable to control any part of my life (and presumably having lost or been parted from my partner) I really won't care how many bells and whistles a care home might have - any amount of money won't make me happy by that stage. Anyone kidding themselves that hoarding their assets into advanced old age will protect them are likely to be disappointed - live for today, spend spend spend (while you are allowed to) and if you do end up in care, smile at the thought of just how much the person in the next (plusher?) room is paying.

Mojisola

downshifter98 wrote: »

Humans weren't designed to survive old age when they are no longer able to look after themselves and this wasn't a problem 50 years ago when the majority of people popped their clogs before they got to this stage.

In the 1960s? :rotfl:

downshifter98

I used 50 years to just make a general point; life expectancy pushed beyond, say, 75 years is going to create a much higher need for care. I just imagined that 75 would have been a pretty fair age for those dying in the 1960's (the Beatles referenced 64 as being old?).

margaretclare

downshifter98 wrote: »

I used 50 years to just make a general point; life expectancy pushed beyond, say, 75 years is going to create a much higher need for care. I just imagined that 75 would have been a pretty fair age for those dying in the 1960's (the Beatles referenced 64 as being old?).

It's true that the Queen's office sends out many more 100th birthday cards now than at the start of her reign. A recent report in our local paper was about a couple who married aged 17 in 1941 and they've received their 75th anniversary card from the Queen. This is about the 3rd anniversary card they've received over the years. Unfortunately, the lady is in a home because of her dementia. Husband still visits her 2 or 3 times a week and she still knows who he is.

I wouldn't take the Beatles' lyrics as being relevant. Young guys at the top of youthful maleness, of course they saw 64 as being incredibly old. Didn't we all, when we were teenagers? We thought we were indestructible.

Nevertheless, even at 80 I am here to tell you that life is still good, life is for living, we have plans about places to go and things to see. We are about to have our bathroom completely remodelled to mobility standards - walk-in shower etc. After that we have a holiday in Germany planned and to that end I am learning German.

DH has far more physical problems than I have but he still gives thanks for every day that dawns and hopes to meet his Maker on the two legs he had to start with.

We have not given any thought whatsoever to the question that started this thread.