To be shocked that Derek Draper didn’t qualify for NHS Continuing Healthcare

It always help to know what you re talking about before opening ones mouth or risk looking like a fool.

Since when was this type of care "means tested" ? read the thread.

On the other hand I'm a die hard socialist and Brexit, austerity etc should have saved us money. Wasn't we told that the NHS could have millions extra?

Why did you think that Brexit and austerity would save money? Bizarre thought processes for a socialist.

A relative of mine qualified for CoC payments. Their needs were solely based around care (they had terminal cancer but weren't receiving any active treatment for this due to the poor prognosis; they were bed-bound due to losing use of their legs as a side effect of the cancer, so the payments covered nursing home fees as they weren't able to manage at home). This was in 2018 so funding rules may have changed.

My Dad got it, but he got it because he needed a lot of nursing. Social care needs aren’t covered. We downloaded the assessment tool, and it basically covered complex medical needs.

This. And it’s not about inheritance. When my mum was in a care home (physically disabled, not dementia) we just worried about whether the money would run out and she would be moved to a cheaper room or another home, and be left with a tiny bit of pocket money to cover her clothes, entertainment, house-plant habit etc.

It’s barbaric and inequitable. There should be a system of social insurance to ensure we all get a decent standard of elderly and disability care. After all, nobody knows whether they will need it. Any one of us could become disabled today, with no access to CHC when we left hospital.

She did take him out of hospital against his medical team's advice. I remember at the time that they felt that he should be allowed to die because of his prognosis. Without the private care she funded he wouldn't have lived the four years that he did. I've mixed feelings. We don't fund children's hospices and there was a news report on how families aren't getting the equipment to give the children the quality of life that they could do. We budget everything, so the decisions are already in place about who lives and dies. For me it comes back around to how long past the natural age of death, or in what state do we keep people alive. On the other hand I'm a die hard socialist and Brexit, austerity etc should have saved us money. Wasn't we told that the NHS could have millions extra? Then there's the waste and mickey mouse contracts for the mates of Tory ministers. We need to look again if care at home is sustainable and rethink the use of different types of residential care.

It isn't the severity of the need so much as the type of need.Continuing care is not for social care needs only nursing care.

Except CHC is not means tested and never has been….my Nan got CHC funding due to the unpredictability of her needs….it was all free…..she had money to pay but was eligible so didn’t need to self fund

It's crazy that you can own property like that from reading off an autocue

Dreadful as it is I agree we can't just look at medical cost in isolation. There will never be enough money in the system to cover everything. If all the money needed is used for funded medical then there would be even less for education and other areas. Also some LA don't spend their budget well. I live close to Birmingham but in another county jurisdiction. I read in the local paper that many parents of children with SN were complaining their DC between ages of 16-18 would no longer get taxis everyday to take them to college and collect them. All councils do this up to 16. Then parents have to pay from 16-18. Apparently Birmingham has for years been continuing this funding from 16-18 too even though no statutory need too. Other councils issue a free bus pass if DC wants it. I have always driven my foster son with SN 49 miles a day so he can go to college only to find people 2 miles away have been given taxis for this.

I feel terrible for the Garraways for all sorts of reasons. But why should taxpayers fund care when they have such significant assets?

Inheritance is nice to have for descendants to have - but not a right to be protected at the expense of the public purse.

my parents have a decent house + some savings. Should one of them require extended expensive care It would be very entitled of them to expect that the nhs should pay for their care so that I + my siblings get more money…

Its bleak that there isn’t more funding available for people that truly need it - PPs have described some harrowing stories - but I’m not sure the Garraways merit it…

But people used to save for their old age - now it seems they save to pass it on to their children. But someone has to pay for old age - if you have assets, surely it should be you? Why should I pay more tax so people can pass on an inheritance, taking more out of my earned income to give unearned income to someone else's children? If you have substantial assets, then I think it is reasonable you pay for your care (not medical) needs. The NHS is a health service and regularly treats illness and saves lives. It was not set up to provide non medical care.

I think whether you qualify is partly down to the assessor. We had a lovely former paramedic, he asked me lots of questions, he asked if they had savings (not significant but over £23k) if there was any assets other than the home (no, that had one of those lifetime mortgages on it too), who was caring now (90 year old) and he said on the spot she qualified with severe dementia (violent and kept escaping), doubly incontinent, etc. I handled the personal budget allocated (12 hours per day) until she needed 24/7 when they would only fund a care home. This wasn't that long ago, 6 years. But I think that they were living in a modest house, carer was elderly, and so on played into getting the funding. I can't be particularly sympathetic when people own 2 houses and own a substantial income way above normal, though I'm of course sorry for their loss and the whole situation, especially the kids, on a personal level because it's a horrible thing to have happened.

But there's a limited pot of money and a rehab facility or care home can be a better option for us to fund, tough as it is for families. Dsd lives in a small care facility so we are quite aware of the options out there

That’s not true though
my DD is not end of life care and gets 40 hours a week

We all know that when it comes to care it’s means tested. I’m sure Kate can cover the bills I’ll save my sympathy for those who can’t.

I think this is the clincher really. With homes worth almost a combined £4m, poor old Doris down the road in her 1 bed council flat living on a pension and no savings and various medical needs is more likely to be the most needy. Derek was also quite the advocate that the rich should pay for their own healthcare.

Why should he qualify?! They have two million pounds plus houses!

Because it's funded by the NHS- who are responsible for our health needs. Mega rich people can still get treated on the NHS if they break their leg or need an operation, they dont have to go private, they still get treated by the NHS because thats what they pay taxes for. Thats exactly the same as CHC funding. Fair enough if they want to make the NHS means tested but currently it isnt so therefore they shouldn't be lying and twisting assessment forms. If you would like NHS as a whole to be means tested then that may mean that next time you need an operation you may not qualify for it if you have assets/savings above a certain amount- are you ok with that?

We know how to keep people alive but we don't know how to care for them.

I’m so very sorry about your mum’s death @saraclara
So what happened once her own assets ran out? Did family have to step in?
This thread worries me a lot.

You missed the point of the OP. It's not means tested but even if it was he still wouldn't have qualified as his needs weren't serious enough

Why should he qualify?! They have two million pounds plus houses!

But @Voerendaal any money you do manage to save is to help you and pay for your care. It's lovely that you can help your daughter through University but she won't be planning her life and finances around inheriting from you.

She alluded to the fact that she brought him home on her own decision when being interviewed. She decided to fund home nursing whereas he was being cared for in hospital.

Chc is not a limitless budget, we were told our relative needed to increase to 24/7 so a care home was the only thing they would fund.

Absolutely appalling.

She's having to sell her second home bless her cotton socks