Grandparent going into home (keeping savings)

Craig_Donny

I asked for you to please stop posting. nothing offensive at all. If it was im sure you could report me.

Mojisola

If she does go in as a self-funder, make sure she is claiming the health benefits she will be entitled to - probably higher rate Attendance Allowance. That will all help to pay the care home bill.

Brecon_Beacons

Craig Donny - thanks for explaining. If she sold her house in 2003, there's no need to worry about it, it's too long ago to be considered deprivation of assets.

However, the savings will be looked at, because basically if she has that much money sitting in an account, she can afford to fund at least some of her social care.

But I would say I disagree with this:

If she has nursing needs she could request a CHC assessment but it's too early for that at the moment

On the contrary, you are entitled to request a CHC assessment as soon as someone goes into Hospital. The NHS really drags its feet on providing them - although they have a legal obligation to - and they can take ages to negotiate. I would say 'press ahead and apply for a CHC assessment' - if the Hospital is already talking about your grandmother needing continuing care after discharge, you need to know EXACTLY how much of that care is classified as Health Care - which should be free - as opposed to Social Care - which is not.

Arguing now, about getting a CHC assessment, and seeing if your grandmother qualifies for Health Care post-discharge (they sometimes call it Nursing care), may be what you are looking for, in terms of retaining her savings. Health care is free and completely non means-dependent - if she needs health care, it should be provided, irrespective of how much she has in the Bank.

Hope this is of help.

Craig_Donny

Thank you Brecon I will look into it.

betsie

She will have to self fund till her savings go down to £23,500 ( so you will need to get social services on board straight away as that will only be 1 or 2 months ).
After that SS pay part and your gran pays part ( normally all their pension money including private pensions and a very tiny part of the £23,500 savings) They get to keep £14,300 in savings no matter what.
As a side point your gran can buy a funeral plan now from her savings ( which will take her to around the £23,500 savings mark) and this isn't considered deprivation of funds by SS.

Get your mum and her sister to apply for power of attorney online now if they havent already ( both finance and health) also see if they can go on your nans bank accounts now as makes things a lot easier for paying bills, care home fees etc.

I would start looking at care homes now that take state funded people. It will help when the time comes to be prepared. Check out reviews and visit some. Good staff are the key thing not nice curtains and furnishings.

Rambosmum

£28000 is considered self funding, but only just. Contact social services once her funds reach £26000 and get them to assess her, if she needs residential care they'll complete a financial assessment and once her funds drop below £23500 will start to contribute towards the cost. Once her funds drop to £14250 the local authority will pay the full cost UP TO their allowed rate (somewhere in the region of £500 per week depending on the local authority). If the care home costs more than the local authority rate, your gran will have to pay the extra out of the £14250. Once that money goes, you, or your mum/ aunty will have to pay the 'top up' so choose wisely.

2003 is well out of the 'deprivation of assets' time frame.

Other than choose a care home that charges the local authority rate, there is nothing you can do to prevent that money being spent on care, and to do so would be a deprivation of assets.

Mojisola

Rambosmum wrote: »

Once her funds drop to £14250 the local authority will pay the full cost UP TO their allowed rate (somewhere in the region of £500 per week depending on the local authority). If the care home costs more than the local authority rate, your gran will have to pay the extra out of the £14250. Once that money goes, you, or your mum/ aunty will have to pay the 'top up' so choose wisely.

The resident isn’t allowed to pay the top-up fee from their own money. It has to be paid by a third party.

Fireflyaway

In general I just don't understand why people feel it wrong to have to use savings/ sell a house to pay for care fees. If you move to a care home, that is your new home. Since when can you live somewhere for free?! A care home has to pay staff, provide heat, light, food , laundry, water etc.
What is wrong is some people having to pay and some not. Should be the same for everyone.
I don't mean to appear uncaring but I'm not sure why you want to 'protect' what in the scheme of things is a small sum. Why should it go to use on something other than care?

tyllwyd

I think your gran falls into a bit of a tricky area, because as other people have said, she is self-funding at the moment but once she starts paying for care she will move into LA funded care quite quickly. Not all care homes will be willing to take residents at the LA rate, and the last thing you want is for your gran to have to move when she's only just settled in. So when you start talking to care homes, I'd recommend you make sure you ask about LA funding.


I'd recommend you take a look at the Alzheimer's Society website and forum - although it sounds as if your gran is physically frail rather than having mental confusion, the posters on the forum have lots of experience on dealing with social services and care homes, so it's useful to build up a picture of the situation.

pearl123

Brecon_Beacons wrote: »

Craig Donny - thanks for explaining. If she sold her house in 2003, there's no need to worry about it, it's too long ago to be considered deprivation of assets.
.

I believe the can go back as far as they want to check if their has been any deprivation of assets. Ok they might not bother if it was in the 60's 70's or 80's but 2003 is not exactly a long time ago.
Does anyone have a link which shows how far they go back?