Still reading the whole thread but for those against using their own assets to fund their care where do they think the money should come from?
When we're talking about people with dementia or other severe healthcare needs, as opposed to normal ageing and reduced mobility, then the same place as it would come from for a younger person requiring healthcare provision. If the NHS needs more funding, then this needs to be organised across the board, on a whole-of-society level. If general taxes have to be raised, then so be it; nobody has ever said that the NHS is funded by magic fairy money - we pay a fortune for it as a country, but it is funded through taxes on all qualifying taxpayers and (apart from prescriptions for 10% of people, but that's another discussion), is not charged for at the point of need.
If the NHS cannot stretch and there is no way of obtaining the extra funds required, why does the burden fall solely on elderly people with the misfortune to get dementia or similar? Why don't we get to a point where the NHS turns away all new pregnant women needing antenatal care, safe births and post-natal care; or people with diabetes or leukaemia, and says "Sorry, we simply can't afford it - do you have any savings?"
To put it bluntly, the care that a dementia sufferer needs will likely cost a fortune, but it won't be required for many years before they subsequently die, largely as a result of it. All of the people who are lucky enough to live to 95 in relatively good health will cost the government decades of pension payments. Then, when they die, their home is still theirs to leave to their children or grandchildren as they wish.
Their pensions will be paid from the tax system to which they, as a part of the wider society, have contributed as legally required throughout their lives; nobody is telling them that, once they get to 75, they need to 'sell' their houses in an equity-release scheme that allows them to live there for the rest of their lives, before ownership passes straight to the company who bought it, as they will henceforth no longer be getting a pension when they have their own assets and shouldn't be expecting to pass them on to their family and relying on the government to pay their later-life living costs.
Interesting how there never seems to be a shortage of money to spend on wars and willy-waving projects like Trident, though.
But I also don't think taxes should be used to pay for care for people so they can give a house or inheritance to their children.
So you're in favour of means-tested NHS provision for ALL age groups, then, with healthcare oly being provided free to the very poorest - or is it only the elderly (who, ironically, have likely paid the most tax as a group than any other), who should be forced to go it alone?