when my dad first had to go into a care home with dementia, he had a house worth 200k and 30k in savings.
We had to sell his home to pay for care.
When he died, he only had 30k of that left, so we had just started the process of applying to the LA to partially fund his care for when he reached the 23k threshold (he died a week after we applied).
I had kept receipts of everything that I, as POA had spent from his account (care home fees, hearing aids (very expensive and the care homes kept losing), taxis to hospital, toiletries and biscuits/cakes for him). I would have had to have given them all those and his bank statements so they could see that I hadn’t taken any money for myself, or deprived him of assets.
I assume they would have gone back further as well to see that he hadn’t given away any lump sums before he went into a home.
I didn’t have to do that in the end as he died, but the care home manager said they could be ruthless barstards sometimes.
Incidentally, that’s why my PIL and DH uncle buy holidays that can’t be traced and give cash (and make up fake drug habits incase anyone asks one day).
My father spent over 200k on his “care”. Everything he’d ever worked for. He was physically abused in two care homes. It was horrific. I had to fight tooth and nail for him to have any shred of dignity and he got no justice.
They all saw that. They helped me with the process. they saw him spend everything he’d worked his fingers to the bone for go on paying for care homes which would be shut down in they treated dogs like they do people. Along side people who’d never saved a thing and the LA were paying for.
And all of them thought, fuck that. We’ll spend our money how we like now and leave no trace of it.