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protecting property from long term care
Comments
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Yes, that is very similar to the area my late father's home was located in (North East). There was one very posh home that didn't take LA funded residents, but the rest did and they were all good enough. The posh one didn't do nursing so wasn't an option anyway.Where we live we don't have overmydeadbodygroves. Private and local authority funded people live in the same homes. They get the same care. The privately funded just pay more.0 -
Where do you live? In my experience that's an exceptional situation.Where we live we don't have overmydeadbodygroves. Private and local authority funded people live in the same homes. They get the same care. The privately funded just pay more.
Most areas are suffering a dearth of LA-funded places. The LA will only pay a set fee and often it won't meet the cost of decent care. The trend is therefore for care homes to offer few/zero LA-funded places in order to compete in their primary (self-funder) market. Unsurprisingly, they have to charge higher fees to self-funders in order to subsidise LA-funded places.
The demand for good care homes is now such that waiting lists are common. We had to wait six months for a place at my MIL's first choice home. The only LA-funded residents in her (exceptionally good) care home are the few who have exhausted their assets. They are late 90s (the home checks finances before offering a place).
Residential care is very expensive and if the taxpayer can't afford to meet the cost then the only alternative is to compromise the quality of accommodation and care. Overmydeadbody groves are plentiful and there is no way I would sacrifice my parents on the altar of such a place just to safeguard my inheritance nor, indeed, sacrifice myself for the benefit of my heirs.
The desire to ring-fence inheritance at the cost of quality and choice of home is a mistake IMO. Who cares if other people are funded by the taxpayer? Others' inability to pay shouldn't impact the decisions of those who have the means. Cutting off nose to spite face.0 -
Where we live we don't have overmydeadbodygroves. Private and local authority funded people live in the same homes. They get the same care. The privately funded just pay more.
I don’t know anywhere that does not have exclusive private residential care homes, and no LA will provide live in carers which would be my number one choice if I ever need serious looking after.
My mum was happy in her LA funded care home, but I would want something with a lot more modern facilities and a lot more private space.0 -
Paulfromdartford wrote: »I've never looked into any kind of residential care. Are they really that bad? Surely they are governed or regulated by someone like the Care Quality Commission?
I cannot speak for your area.
We visited a large number (my MIL needs were quite high) and some were cold, signs of excrement, dressings hanging off and the staff sat about chatting.
I termed the phrase overmydeadbodygrove as my SIL would have refused for her father to go in one of these places (in Bristol/Bath area) and was serious about giving up her job to prevent it which would have meant hardship and difficulty keeping a roof over her head.
Yes you can check care commission ratings. Some are poor.
You have to take them with a very large pinch of salt anyway because (for example), the report might have been written 8 months ago and there is a new manager in place and things have changed, so they are actually relatively useless as the home now could be very different to the reports (or even reviews) depending of the date.
One very good indication is if any of the staff have their parents in the home.
As for sharing rooms do be aware that some dimensia patients whistle, sing, scream, shout etc. On the plus side most elderly people are somewhat hard of hearing, smell, sight etc.0 -
Keep_pedalling wrote: »I don’t know anywhere that does not have exclusive private residential care homes, and no LA will provide live in carers which would be my number one choice if I ever need serious looking after.
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The very expensive home e.g. £1500 per week will not be funded by the LA so will be exclusively private.
Many people in the nicer homes are in there on a top-up basis I.e. the resident or family pay the extra.
Live in care in a TEMPorary basis was suggested to us that it MIGHT be offered but this was only for recovery. It too expensive permanently. It would be quite intrusive for a spouse (commode in the bedroom?)0 -
Paulfromdartford wrote: »Yes but it's also what my parents want to achieve.My father worked and paid taxes from the age of 15, had the foresight to have a private pension which he still pays tax on and he doesn't believe that he should pay for the same care that others who have made no provision are getting for free.
Except it's not the same. Even if, having successfully jettisoned his assets without falling foul of deliberate deprivation, he's lucky enough to end up in a nice care home that also takes self-funders, it still won't be the same because he could be forced to move to Overmydeadbody Grove if the care home decides it's no longer economic to take LA residents. Whereas if he has his own money that wouldn't be a risk.
He has spent his whole life paying taxes so that those with no money can scrape together an existence on the tender mercy of the state, why is this suddenly a problem now? Why didn't he chuck in his job and go on the dole ages ago? Because living on the mercy of the state is generally miserable and precarious? There you go then.0 -
The very expensive home e.g. £1500 per week will not be funded by the LA so will be exclusively private.
Many people in the nicer homes are in there on a top-up basis I.e. the resident or family pay the extra.
Live in care in a TEMPorary basis was suggested to us that it MIGHT be offered but this was only for recovery. It too expensive permanently. It would be quite intrusive for a spouse (commode in the bedroom?)
When my friend was looking for a home for her MiL she looked at this option. From memory (and this was a few years ago) the Council would have paid £500 per week and the family would have paid £300 per week top up - but the Council contribution was only a loan, to be repaid once the house had been sold.0 -
Also I would add when my FIL needed care the LA wanted to put him in a different home to MIL, despite MIL being LA funded, there being a place available and them being married 60 years.
Seeing each other would have been very difficult and expensive as he was bed bound and her wheelchair bound and unable to get in a car (unless it takes wheelchairs). They would have been about 15 miles apart.
We fought with the LA and won, but the point I’m making is that they WILL be heartless and split up married couples at the end of their lives to save a few quid.
He survived 11 days in the home so having him close to family and MIL being able to spend time with him was quite precious time for us and hopefully was better was him too.
FWIW - MIL is now paying privately since he died and we are all happy with that. Our only concern is if they try to move her once she runs out of money but we feel that’s unlikely (have considered an annuity but with care fee increases it’s still not a guarantee).0 -
Silvertabby wrote: »When my friend was looking for a home for her MiL she looked at this option. From memory (and this was a few years ago) the Council would have paid £500 per week and the family would have paid £300 per week top up - but the Council contribution was only a loan, to be repaid once the house had been sold.
You’re right but there are two distinct things here.
If you should pay but the money is tied up in a property (not uncommon when a spouse dies) then the LA will make a loan and sometimes they will put a charge on the property. I did this recently on behalf of MIL after FIL died.
That’s different to a top up where there is outside (usually family) help to “upgrade” someone.
Sounds like in the case you mention both happened at the same time.0 -
You’re right but there are two distinct things here.
If you should pay but the money is tied up in a property (not uncommon when a spouse dies) then the LA will make a loan and sometimes they will put a charge on the property. I did this recently on behalf of MIL after FIL died.
That’s different to a top up where there is outside (usually family) help to “upgrade” someone.
Sounds like in the case you mention both happened at the same time.
In this case, the lady was a widow and the house was already on the market (but expected to take a long time to sell due to its condition/location).0
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