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Elderly parents
Original poster

How are care homes funded?

27 replies

AutisticLegoLover · 26/05/2023 21:46

Should my mum need to go into a care home how are the fees paid? Would she sell her house to pay for them? Would the local authority pay some of it? How are care homes chosen? If she can't afford to pay, what happens? She has no income bar her state pension.
She's not in any urgent need of going into one but it would be helpful to know how it all works should the need arise.

OP posts:
hatgirl · 26/05/2023 21:53

IF she needs to go into a care home then the local authority will do at least two assessments

one will be a 'care act assessment' which determines if she has eligible needs for a care home

the other will be a financial assessment which will determine how much she needs to pay towards the cost of her care.

If she owns a house and it will be empty once she goes into care then yes the local authority will ask that it's sold to fund the care before they start to pay for it.

care homes are usually chosen on what is available that can meet the assessed needs at the time it's needed.

DustyLee123 · 26/05/2023 21:51

One of my in laws is in a home. Their house hasn’t been sold but the council have put a charge on it so that when they die, the debt will be paid.
TBH it would be preferable for it to be sold as the family have to maintain the empty house, and paying the window cleaner etc is a pain.