Fed up of reading threads asking how they can get out of paying care home fees.

Should be a separate tax for everyone for basic care start paying as soon as you start working, but still the non working tribe still get cared for! What’s the answer what do other countries do?

Agree, it’s a really difficult process too.

There is something about the scale of the costs involved that makes it feel different from other financial issues, for sure. My conclusion on some of the issues we had to decide on was, “it doesn’t matter - either way we go, the cost to her is going to be ‘all her money.’’ It’s bit like how a mortgage doesn’t feel like other debt because it’s so massive.

It’s not true though.

I mean it is true. But it’s a difficult and lengthy process ( usually too long to impact unfortunately) and you need to provide a whole heap of evidence on top of a diagnosis.

CHC funding is tricky for most health issues tbh.

This is awful. Your poor dad. Also knowing that he is not the only one to have suffered abuse and a lack of care in a so called care home, and he won’t be the last. The whole ‘caring’ industry needs to be looked at. It is so dodgy and a lot of the time it’s far from ‘caring’.

It is very hard.

I am nearer that stage than most on here and have heart problems, so I could finish up needing the help of a care or nursing home.

In an ideal world I would much rather spend that money on legacies for my very dear AC and GC, but the simple fact is that when we need something we have to buy it with our money: house, food, clothes etc., and this is no different - if we have need of care, then we must buy it, just as we do anything else.

My late OH needed a great deal of care, both at home and eventually in a NH. Our savings fell above the limits for state aid, and in fact I also sold our home and downsized in order to pay for the standard of care that I wanted for him.

My DDs knew exactly what was going on and their view was that I must spend what I needed to make sure that he got the right care; and that is exactly how they feel about me. Of course they would love a financial windfall in these difficult times, but my well-being is more important to them.

Buying care is no different from anything else and help is there when the funds get too low. The critical issue from my point of view is the quality of that care, and here many problems wait to be solved.

People seem to have a hard time grasping that the money is NOT theirs until the parents are dead!

Everybody has living costs which change over time and differs from person to person. The downside to healtheir lifestyles and medical advancements is prolonging life while the mind dies, or the body deteriorates but doesn't die.

There simply isn't enough money to pay for everyone. People with assets need to use them.

Interesting, thanks

Not true, extremely difficult to meet the medical threshold for NHS care funding even with severe dementia

That’s incredibly had to qualify for.

As a side note, if you wish to protect your children's inheritance, it is possible to insure against care home costs. This is not cheap, but does mean that you can avoid care costs without acting immorally.

You may well be entitled to CHC ( nhs) funding if you have dementia.

There seems to be an assumption that people that don't have assets haven't worked and paid their way.

You can have rented your whole life and still have paid plenty of taxes. Home ownership doesn't make you more deserving than anyone else.

If you're entitled to free care from the NHS for things like cancer, then you should also be entitled for dementia.

So unfair, I’m sorry

This is such a good point and i actually hadn't thought of this.

Decades of blood sweat and tears go into paying rent too. But that all goes to someone else

The best way to even this out and make it fairer would be to tax inheritance properly in order to fund social care properly. A flat % IHT on the value of all estates, for example. Andy Burnham suggested this some years ago. Trouble is, people shriek at any inheritance tax, and so politicians really aren't going to take that step.

Especially when the people who haven't paid a penny into the system will get it for free.

My dad spent £200 on care home fees. Everything he had in life, everything he worked his fingers to the bone for.

He was abused in two homes. I’m am still fighting them after his death. SS and CQC are useless.

Your money will not buy you the best care unless you are a multi millionaire.

My dad was in the same homes as people who didn’t have a penny and were LA funded. Even those were 1.5k a week.

Your money won’t do you any good or buy you good care. Spend it all on yourself and your children while you can.

I’m not sure it works like that. If you reach an age and deteriorate in terms of physical health the Social Services will do a financial assessment for your care needs:

In England, social services will typically conduct a financial assessment to determine your eligibility for help with care costs if your savings and investments (capital) are below £23,250.

Here's a more detailed explanation:
Capital Limit:
The government sets a capital limit of £23,250, which includes money in bank accounts, investments, and the value of assets like a former home or second property.

Financial Assessment:
If your capital is below £23,250, a financial assessment (or means test) will determine how much you may need to contribute towards the cost of your care.

Self-Funder:
If your capital is above £23,250, you will be considered a self-funder and will need to pay the full cost of your care until your capital falls below the limit.

Financial Assessment Process:
The financial assessment is free and happens after a needs assessment or carer's assessment.

Council Contribution:
The council may contribute to the cost of your care depending on your needs and how much you can afford to pay.

Example
If you have £17,250 in savings the council will calculate your tariff income by subtracting the lower capital limit of £14,250 (£17,250 - £14,250 = £3,000) and then dividing by £250 (£3,000 / £250 = £12)

That is what really annoyed me. Plus the bloody councils are so secretive any information but they want to know everything about the person both financially and medically (as my aunt used to say "far end of megs arsehole").
Also care homes are very secretive about their fees and some want evidence of two years fees before admitting someone and others want guarantors.
As for numbers needing care homes - well you obviously don't need it if you die of TB, diabetes, heart disease or cancer before you get old but as these conditions are now treatable there are more people living to very old age with chronic conditions so will be more in need of care homes.
Where will we get the care staff from - at one time home helps and carers were almost always women with older children returning to the job market after being involuntary sahms or migrant workers whether from east Europe or elsewhere. These people are reducing in number so homes will have to pay out more to recruit staff and of course fees will go up for self funders (councils have no money to increase what they will pay)

One aspect that’s not often mentioned, is that it’s something of a luxury to be able to self-fund. You can choose the time and place, instead of being at the tender mercies of invariably hard pressed and cash strapped SS. It’s not uncommon for relatives doing their best to care, to be on their knees with stress and exhaustion, before SS will step in.

Plus you don’t have to suffer any social worker who has never met the person before, telling you what their needs are, when you are all too well aware of these, thank you.

We’ve had 2 self funders in this family - DM and FiL, both with dementia, and I was profoundly grateful for the ability to decide when I simply couldn’t do it any more.

Their worried they won't get a inheritance if they have to pay 😡

Actually, l think it is extortion to force someone to subsidise a stranger’s care fees in addition to paying their own.