Care Home fees - protecting parent's savings

HarryFlatters

Keep pedalling, your replies assume so much yet some folk such as myself of which you know nothing are all tarred with the same broad brush. FYI my fathers parents were killed in WW2, he was left nothing as a teenager and found his own way and wealth in this world. This wealth has been individually hard earned and is now diminishing as he can't even remember who he is. He continues to pay all taxes due along with supplementing those in the same home receiving the same care.

le_loup

HarryFlatters wrote: »

he was left nothing as a teenager and found his own way and wealth in this world.

So, very much like the rest of us.
If his money is used to support him in his last years, why would you want it instead. He saved for a rainy day - now it's raining.
Make you own way, like your dad, like the rest of us.

HarryFlatters

Sorry, I'm baling out of this, some here are just picking over morsels to make themselves superior.
At no point have I stated the terms of my fathers will ? My first post was to help the OP and others in similar positions.

Keep_pedalling

HarryFlatters wrote: »

Keep pedalling, your replies assume so much yet some folk such as myself of which you know nothing are all tarred with the same broad brush. FYI my fathers parents were killed in WW2, he was left nothing as a teenager and found his own way and wealth in this world. This wealth has been individually hard earned and is now diminishing as he can't even remember who he is. He continues to pay all taxes due along with supplementing those in the same home receiving the same care.

I did say most, and I am glad your father managed to save enough to provide for himself at his time of greatest need. In an ideal world we would all get free care when required, but based on the current tax system coupled with an aging population that could only be achieved by doing a Robin Hood in reverse.

The amount LAs pay care homes is not sustainable for the homes, which is why more of them are going out of business, or just getting out of LA contracts, so as demand grows and supply shrinks those who cannot afford to self fund are going to have a pretty miserable time of it, their choose will become even more limited, and they the offer of a place will come well after they actually need it.

When the NHS was launched the only LA funded "care homes" were located in buildings that were formally work houses, and we are rapidly heading back that way, so although some current LA funded residents may be fine, the position of the generations following them who end up in that situation is not to be envied.

If you are wise you should make sure your children understand well in advance that if required the first call on your savings will be the well being of yourself in your dotage.

Glen_Clark

Geoff1963 wrote: »

One way is for the OP's mother to commit a very serious criminal offence, then the state will pay for her long term care in sheltered accommodation. Even with severe dementia, she wouldn't go wandering off.

This is not the Daily Mail. This is a serious subject. So can we stop pretending prisons are holiday camps / care homes etc...

Geoff1963

This is a serious subject.

I know from much research there is no real way of safeguarding this money as it would be seen as avoidance

The OP is seriously asking for advice on avoidance ; ways to put their mother into a state-supported care home, so they can have an inheritance. If I wanted to do that, I wouldn't be advertising the fact.

can we stop pretending prisons are . . . care homes

The evidence suggests that some care homes are worse.

msallen

Just to add a brighter note about what can be found for the ~£500 pw that the LA will pay.

For the year or so before my father finally went into a care home he had 5 or 6 week/fortnight long stays in different homes to give my mother a break from looking after him. One of these was local authority run and the others were private and more expensive. When the time came for him to move into one permanently we looked at the his experience over the previous year and there was no question that the best one happened to be the one run by the LA, and so he subsequently went in there. He was self funding but only paid the LA rate. He had a very nice last year in there, and my mother has already made it clear that if she has to go into care (which is almost certain, and approaching fairly quickly I suspect) then she wants to go to the same place.

I suspect its a bit of a postcode lottery as to what is available in any area, but don't go thinking that the LA rate will only ever buy a place in a hell-hole.

BTW, can we cut the OP a bit of slack. We only have one post to judge their intentions by, and older people are often adamant that they want to leave something to their kids, regardless of how many times we tell them to spend it on themselves.

Glen_Clark

Geoff1963 wrote: »

The evidence suggests that some care homes are worse.

You really shouldn't believe the 'evidence' you read in the gutter press.
Truth is usually boring, they have got to make up stories to sell papers, and prefer those that fit the owner's agenda.

Mojisola

msallen wrote: »

One of these was local authority run and the others were private and more expensive.

When the time came for him to move into one permanently we looked at the his experience over the previous year and there was no question that the best one happened to be the one run by the LA, and so he subsequently went in there.

Does your area still have LA run homes?

All ours have shut and the council buys beds in privately owned places.

As I have said before on MSE threads, only one home in each area of our county accepts the LA rate - and the ways they have to trim costs to stay in business is evident before you walk through the door.

Others accept LA funded clients if someone will else will pay the top-up fee.

Keep_pedalling

Mojisola wrote: »

Does your area still have LA run homes?

All ours have shut and the council buys beds in privately owned places.

As I have said before on MSE threads, only one home in each area of our county accepts the LA rate - and the ways they have to trim costs to stay in business is evident before you walk through the door.

Others accept LA funded clients if someone will else will pay the top-up fee.

None of the homes in my neck of the woods are LA run, they were all farmed out to private companies a few years back, although there are quite a few homes run by not for profit set ups.