Funding of adult care plan for an elderly person in receipt of benefits.

diystarter7

Hi OP

Please do not overthink at this stage. (easier said than done, sorry)

Please read links to carers assessment and your mums assessment below.

Do not fear re benefits etc as they can offer help etc and or benefits and impacts or not but you  decide in your mums best interests.


The bottom line, the assessment by care manager is the way forward and they will be able to answer/guide as required

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/support-and-benefits-for-carers/carer-assessments/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/getting-a-needs-assessment/

AsifM068

lisyloo said:

Hi,

There will be a financial assessment.
You can also claim in this for extra costs associated with laundry due to incontinence and those kind of costs.

My personal experience (I did it twice) was that my parents were allowed around £300 per week income before they had to pay which I personally felt was quite generous.
This may vary with local authority but may put your mind at rest as a ball park.

There is a needs assessment and usually care is provided straight away.
Following that there is a financial assessment where details of savings, benefits, income and any extra costs get detailed.

My experience (and that of many others) is that you will (unfortunately) need to keep an eye on the carers.
Lots of old people says no when asked if they want a shower and many carers are happy to accept that as an answer without providing any encouragement or suggestion that they really need to wash.
As a female this is particularly important wrt UTIs
A lot of carers are good but they are hard pressed timewise so I'm not saying they are bad just that they will take no for an answer more readily than you or I might wish.
Although sounds like your mum knows her own mind !

Good Luck

Many thanks for this; Mum receives weekly pension credit and monthly attendance allowance - are these benefits considered as income in the LA's financial assessment?  

poppy12345

AsifM068 said:

lisyloo said:

Hi,

There will be a financial assessment.
You can also claim in this for extra costs associated with laundry due to incontinence and those kind of costs.

My personal experience (I did it twice) was that my parents were allowed around £300 per week income before they had to pay which I personally felt was quite generous.
This may vary with local authority but may put your mind at rest as a ball park.

There is a needs assessment and usually care is provided straight away.
Following that there is a financial assessment where details of savings, benefits, income and any extra costs get detailed.

My experience (and that of many others) is that you will (unfortunately) need to keep an eye on the carers.
Lots of old people says no when asked if they want a shower and many carers are happy to accept that as an answer without providing any encouragement or suggestion that they really need to wash.
As a female this is particularly important wrt UTIs
A lot of carers are good but they are hard pressed timewise so I'm not saying they are bad just that they will take no for an answer more readily than you or I might wish.
Although sounds like your mum knows her own mind !

Good Luck

Many thanks for this; Mum receives weekly pension credit and monthly attendance allowance - are these benefits considered as income in the LA's financial assessment?  

Yes both of them are, as well as her state pension. Just so that you're aware, Attendance Allowance is 4 weekly.

AsifM068

Re Adult Care Plans

I understand that after my mum has undergone a care assessment by Social Services there will be an ensuing care plan as recommended by the Local Authority; in regards to the care plan, do mum and I have any input into what we require care wise, or is the plan just imposed upon us and if so do we have the right to object - mum does have dementia, the degree of which is being currently diagnosed through blood, urine tests and possible MRI scans yet her mental capacity in regards to decisions around her future care, is in tact.

I remain committed to taking an active role in mum's care and I do not want her home overrun with carers as there are many tasks that I attend to, i.e. showering, cooking, cleaning, medication compliance, shopping, financial management / admin of her affairs etc (paying her bill etc).

The only issue I cannot manage is her double incontinence and the ensuing clean-up. Mum has started to use pull-ups successfully, however when she changes the pull up, the contents goes over her legs and and all over the floor and as she is partially sighted, she is unaware of the mess and so I have to attend to it and find that aspect of her care a little too much as it was making me physically ill and impacting upon my mental health.

I subsequently reached out to my GP who then made a number of referrals; i.e. OT, OH, Adult Social Care as well as the incontinence clinic / team - that's the story to date.  

elsien

No-one can impose anything on you, that's not what its about. It's intended to empower people, promote independence and to allow them to say thanks but no thanks if what is on offer is not right for them. Your mother's input and wishes are a fundamental part of the process. 

The theory is that the support maximises your mother's wellbeing, although of course there may be limits to what can be offered. Often the timings of care calls can be very hit and miss and if there are no available slots then may not easily fit in with your routine.

So the idea is that the assessment looks at the care domains, then comes up with a support plan explaining how these will be met. In your case, with the support you give built into the plan with the extras you need help with on top. Your mother is  entitled to a written copy and if she  doesn't  agree with it she can raise informally then follow the local authority complaints procedure. 
The assessment and support planning has to involve someone independent who can support your mother to be actively involved in the assessment process as far as she is able. She can have an independent advocate if she wishes but  as the person who knows her best, you are best placed to do carry out that if she is happy with that and if there is no conflict of interests. 

You can also request a joint assessment for you and mum together if you feel that would work better. The local authority cannot insist on carers taking over roles that you are happy to continue with yourself if your mother wishes for that to continue.  And to be honest, you providing the bulk of the care makes life a whole lot easier for them - the whole system would break down otherwise. If they did have concerns they would need to raise and address them properly and give you the opportunity to have your say. 

Don't worry. It's about finding the balance that works best for your mum. 

elsien

Mum has capacity around her care and support needs, according to the OP. So just to be clear, it’s not the OPs choice as to what is accepted, it’s his mother’s. 

Any costs will follow on from the assessment and support plan not during it.  The law is very clear that the assessment should be carried out without financial constraints in mind so the financial assessment is the very end of the process when the assessment and support plan have been completed.

ETA in case anyone is wondering, this responses in reply to a now deleted Diystarter7 post.

diystarter7

Hi OP

Seek the assessments if mum consents and you  guys will get the outcomes, the care plans (CP) and what the costs are etc.

Your mum will decide if she wants you on the assessments and be made aware of the outcomes

The CP will summarise the detail of what is being offered, and planned.

You will be both made aware of any costs and at what stage.


Your mum in your/her opinion may be offered too little or too much help via carers etc.

It is up to you guys  to decide the way forward and you can still ask more questions/guidance etc.

The assessments are nothing to worry about but something to look forward to in
order to put your minds at rest and make you more informed of what is out there
via social care, charities, private care, referral to various agencies - etc etc, chocie and control via knowldge etc


Its call choice and control and is exactly that you will have a choice and better control  (mum has to decide if she wants the assemsnets etc)

Therefore, one step at a time and I strongly recommend the assessments and then you and or mum
can sleep on it and discuss with others if you wish and decide if you want the full, part or none of the CP recommendations.

Often I noted that kids wanted their parents to have an assessment and they reluctantly agreed but after the assessment, they refused all help offered/recommended. However, one has to start at some point and you have your mothers interests at heart like most kids do with elderly/vulnerable parents/family


Thnaks 

AsifM068

Thank you all; I am certainly more reassured as I was stressing needlessly as I tend to do!

This is a new pathway for mum and me as we have always tried to overcome her care issues without intervention but I guess there are times in our lives where we all need a little help. I just want mum to enjoy the winter of her life as she approaches 90 this year however I do not want to be broken in the process.

The past couple of weeks has seen a significant escalation in mum's toileting issues that I was not prepared for and ill equipped to handle by myself; it has been traumatizing and mentally exhausting yet I am encouraged by the advice / information gleaned from you kind people; thank you all again sincerely.   

lisyloo

I think the local authority will be delighted at the extent of your contribution.
Our local authority were very good.
They could tell that MIL moaned about everything and FIL about nothing.
Some are less thorough, but yes there will be meetings and consultations and I'm sure it would be good if you could attend to confirm what you are willing and able to do.

elsien

I think you said that you had, but has your mum spoken to the GP  about the changes? Just to rule out any physical health triggers.