CHC Funding for Sick Elderly Parent - Help/Advice Needed.

RolandFlagg

My Mam was in hospital for a couple of weeks after having issues with breathing. She has terminal lung cancer.

After a while they said there wasn't anything more they could do, and sent her home with a oxygen concentrator machine in place along with a care package and district nurses coming out to drain her lungs 3 times a week.

Despite all this in place we found we couldn't cope with my Mams needs. During the day she's not too bad. For some reason on a night she goes downhill, and needs constant monitoring, which of course has to be done by the family with the care team only coming during the day.

It was exhausting. We were getting no sleep, and we are getting stressed with each other (not with my Mam).

So the district nurse team found her a place in a nursing home, which are very few and far between in my area. They are normally just residential.

But when I asked where the funding would come from (My Mam has no savings), they just told me that my Mam has been CHC fast tracked.

Which sounds great, but every time I ask for proof or paperwork, they just tell me "don't worry, it's sorted".

I don't why they are keeping me out of the loop and arranging everything themselves, but I have this horrible feeling that without evidence we could be faced with a big bill from the nursing home.

I still have no idea how the CHC system works. I've searched and it's a bit of a minefield.

Can someone please tell me what I should be doing? I'm grateful for the help they are giving us, but the details are really sketchy.

celinepatricia

if you google it it says fully funded by NHS.  Have a read up about it x

Savvy_Sue

It is good news, getting CHC funding can be an uphill battle, so please try to relax and be thankful you don't have to worry about that. 

Who are you asking for proof? Ask the nursing home to confirm that fees are being fully met by CHC, I'd email them and accept that as proof. 

And then try to make the most of whatever time you have left with your mum. 

Vampgirl

When my MIL became too ill to remain at home with carers NHS Continuing Health Care found her a place in a local nursing home for her last few weeks. This was fully funded by CHC and they managed all the paperwork and made all the arrangements. We didn't get much information about how things worked either - not sure whether this is because it was during the first Covid lockdown or if its just a normal lack of communication (I got the feeling that they were all very busy so updating relatives on the process was understandably a low priority).

The nursing home did try to get various members of the family to sign a contract which they told us was just for incidentals (toiletries etc.) but there was a sneaky clause in there which would have left whoever signed open to being pursued for the nursing home fees if CHC didn't pay. We all refused to sign it and told them we'd provide toiletries etc. instead. This had no impact on my MIL's care or funding.

hippychick1

If you mum qualifies for a fast track the care will be completely funded. The DN team probably think they helping by telling you not to worry.

Fast track funding is rapid funding put in place for care when someone is approaching the last few weeks/short months of life. If the nurses have made this assessment then the funding will be agreed. You will not have a bill from the nursing home. The DN team will have completed all the paperwork, and the home would not have accepted your mam without it in place.

JGB1955

My father was released from hospital to a Nursing Home with CHC. Originally his life expectancy was 2 weeks.  It took another 7 months before he was re-assessed.  All of those 7 months were fully funded by CHC.  .... by which time it was obvious that he only needed FNC (Funded Nursing Care) so we then paid the 'top-up' until his death 18 months later.

sassyblue

Your mums condition sounds unpredictable and that’s where you score the points for CHC funding.  My dad had it in place when he came out of hospital and then lost it at another meeting despite us trying to say his health was unpredictable, we appealed but still lost. He died weeks later.

Keep_pedalling

You really don’t have to worry about this and there is nothing you need to do other than make the most of the time you have left with her.

sassyblue

Keep_pedalling said:

You really don’t have to worry about this and there is nothing you need to do other than make the most of the time you have left with her.

That’s true and I should have said the same. 

OP if your mum lives a few months then CHC will be reassessed but even then you'll be kept informed.  (I think it’s every 6 months?) 

enjoy the time you have left with mum, if your mum has obtain CHC you won’t be expected to pay anything. All costs are met.