Help with calculating care home fees

33 replies

KittensSchmittens · 29/04/2024 16:15

My DM has a pension of £4500 a month, she would also be eligible for attendance allowance but she doesn't currently claim it.

She has no savings.

She owns half a house (her half worth about £400k), the other half is held in a Trust.

She has dementia so we would need full nursing home care. Would £4800 per month be enough for a nursing home? She can't sell the house as she doesn't fully own it. Would the council put a charge on it? If so is it just for the portion of fees that the pension doesn't cover? Do they leave her with any spending money?

TIA

OP posts:

Original poster

KittensSchmittens · 29/04/2024 17:07

Thank you all for replies, very helpful.

@olderbutwiser half of the house is held in trust, so there are 2 trustees that manage it. The house can't be sold without their agreement.

Do the council take the pension income first and then either ask the family for a top up or put a charge on the house for the remaining balance?

OP posts:

olderbutwiser · 29/04/2024 16:57

What provisions were set up to manage the half and half ownership of the house, if one party wanted or needed to sell? As above, here in the south east it seems to be about £1800/week for high needs nursing home care.

thesandwich · 29/04/2024 16:49

Contact your adult care social services- they may offer a brokerage service to negotiate fees. Or age uk may be able to advise.
The most expensive homes are not always the best - check locally for recommendations via gp, local nextdoor or fbook groups etc. don’t be swayed by posh facilities- check staff turnover/ vacancies, observe interactions with residents. Good luck

Theeyeballsinthesky · 29/04/2024 16:46

Age Uk has useful starting point https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/paying-for-care/paying-for-a-care-home/

plus you can ring their helpline to discuss in more detail

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/care/paying-for-care/paying-for-a-care-home/

NoBinturongsHereMate · 29/04/2024 16:45

Incidentally, dementia doesn't always mean a nursing home. It depends on the level of dementia and other medical needs.

A lot of non-nursing residental homes take patients with mild dementia in the main home and often have a separate, more secure wing/floor for people with a higher level of dementia but without actual nursing needs.

Kitkat1523 · 29/04/2024 16:45

yes the council can put a charge on it
costs are around £1800 a week here

NoBinturongsHereMate · 29/04/2024 16:42

Claim AA - that can then be used towards the fees (won't help much, but better than not having it).

For a nursing - rather than just a residential - home there is an extra payment that can be claimed to cover the nursing element. Often the home organises this for you, so check when getting quotes and find out if they've deducted that from the price quoted.

Assume around £1500-2000 a week. It depends on area, and the specific home, and individual needs, but that gives you a starting point.

Whether the house is included in means testing depends on ownership and on who else lives there. It may be discounted. If not, and it can't be sold, they can probably put a charge on it.

Once someone falls below the self funding threshold and the local authority takes over payments they will take the attendance allowance and most of the pension towards costs. But not the whole pension - people are left with a small allowance for personal spending.

MayYourToastLandButterSideUp · 29/04/2024 16:22

DF is in a dementia care home which costs “from £1,300” per week for dementia nursing care.
You would need to approach homes to see how much they are near you to know if her pension will be enough.

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