Care - 12 months free?

Baldytyke88

I have read that the last 12 months of life, care is free, but the information around this seems unclear.

A 97-year-old relation had a few health issues this year and it was decided that he should move into a care home, as family could not cope.

Last month a doctor said that he is unlikely to live another 12 months, he is very frail, cannot walk etc.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/end-of-life-care/where-you-can-have-care/care-in-a-care-home/

lisyloo

Where have you seen that it’s free?

medical care is free so if the primary need is medical then someone can qualify for free care.

you seem to be taking about personal care and that is mean tested.
In a nursing home the nursing part would be paid for but the majority - personal care, board and lodging are means tested.

Flugelhorn

there are some benefits etc that are paid more quickly / at a higher rate if you have an SR1 form completed (used to be a DS1500) 

elsien

There is no blanket “the last 12 months is free” because no one ever knows how long someone has left. That link you posted doesn’t mention 12 months.

Social  care is based on a financial assessment. 

If someone has complex nursing needs Then there is the CHC nursing assessment, and for some people that does give free care, but that’s based only on the severity and complexity of the health needs, not on timescales. Someone simply dying of old age, even with mobility issues, dementia et cetera is unlikely to qualify for full funding. 

You may be thinking of the CHC fast track process which applies to someone whose condition is deteriorating rapidly, but you’re talking weeks rather than months there.

Baldytyke88

elsien said:

You may be thinking of the CHC fast track process which applies to someone whose condition is deteriorating rapidly, but you’re talking weeks rather than months there.

I think that is it, there needs to be some sort of diagnosis of a terminal illness. Although it would be fairer if everyone got 12 months free.

Wyndham

Baldytyke88 said:

elsien said:

You may be thinking of the CHC fast track process which applies to someone whose condition is deteriorating rapidly, but you’re talking weeks rather than months there.

I think that is it, there needs to be some sort of diagnosis of a terminal illness. Although it would be fairer if everyone got 12 months free.

Fairer for who? Unfortunately care is not actually free, there is a cost, and that cost has to be picked up by someone.

And, if there is 12 months free per person, assume that something happens in childhood requiring care, but they come through it - if they then need care later in life they would start from zero... which doesn't seem quite 'fair'.

Don't get me wrong, I do wish your relative well and hope all goes well. And you can tell a lot about a society by how they look after their very young and their very old. However, this is the world we live in, and costs need to be paid...

Sapindus

elsien said:

There is no blanket “the last 12 months is free” because no one ever knows how long someone has left. 

Just playing devil's advocate here, but there could be an arrangement whereby once someone is dead their estate gets a refund for the previous 12 months or whatever...

elsien

And how exactly do you anticipate that that would work/be agreed to by the relevant authorities? 

lisyloo

Baldytyke88 said:

elsien said:

You may be thinking of the CHC fast track process which applies to someone whose condition is deteriorating rapidly, but you’re talking weeks rather than months there.

I think that is it, there needs to be some sort of diagnosis of a terminal illness. Although it would be fairer if everyone got 12 months free.

CHC - continuing health care is still care for health i.e. NHS. It is not where the primary need is personal care.
normally it take many months for an assessment, this is just speeding it up in urgent cases.

some people do think this is unfair I.e. if you have cancer it might be free but if you have Alzheimer’s it probably isn’t.
If you were very ill in hospital then your feeding, washing, physio etc. would be taken care of.
chc is for nhs care but in a nursing home setting rather than a hospital.

people who want it to be “free” are just putting the costs onto the tax payer and we don’t see anyone volunteering to pay this tax.
personally I feel it’s fairer coming out of houses no longer needed and inheritances rather than from younger working people who are mostly more hard pressed than those with homes they no longer need.