Deprivation of assets query

Maybe someone should also ask her if she thinks that the LA care is actually what she wants. It may be fine in your area but in some it is pretty grotty. See the CQC recent report.

I also think that as LAs are getting more & more strapped for cash they will have to be looking for any get-out clause they can find.

Just to be a bit personal in this, I have savings set aside for if I do need care, if I don't that's fine I have a will, but I don't see why I should have to fund someone elses care just because they have given their money away. Even if it was over 7 years ago.

skintandfat wrote: »

There is nothing to stop her adding other family members as joint account holders on her current account


To sum up- if nan has £100k in her account then the full amount is taken as an asset.
If nan has £100k in a joint account with 3 others then the monies are divided 4 ways.
It then is not a deprivation of an asset if a joint account holder withdraws money from an account in their name.

Yes it would still be DoA, and she would also open her self up to having her money stolen by the joint account holders, so would be a stupid move.

When my mother was self funded in a care home I never worried about the fact that about 50% were LA funded it was never a problem. What I did sometimes think of the ones who had no visitors was who had got their money. Some had been professional people who no longer seemed to have any resources at all & at the first signs of dementia no visitors either. Hopefully the LAs will be more proactive now as money is tighter. I have absolutely no objection to paying for the care of the elderly that need it, but do object to subsidising someone whose relatives have taken the money for themselves.

Sheltered accommodation is drastically cheaper than care home costs. To give away the proceeds from her house sale, trying to relay on the LA if she even needs nursing care IMO amounts to DOA. However if the grandchildren etc. are prepare to look after her should she need caring for there probably wouldn't be any problem. I think it is sad when people who have assets give them away to rely on LA should they need care. Your mother could always loan the grandchildren money with a written agreement for them to pay it back if they didn't want to take care of her.
A close relative has just passed away who spent 5 years self funded in a care home (a lot of money). It upset me seeing them there (I had ill health so couldn't look after them and no other relative was prepared to) however I visited weekly taking them out and the nice thing about them not depriving themselves of assets was that they could move care home when they wanted and to where they wanted, rather than the LA choosing the home for them. Care homes can be great when you originally choose one however staff can change and conditions alter. In the 5 years my relative moved 3 times each time for the better, if she had not self funded this could not have happened as the cost of the homes was above the LA rates.