Long-term care home funding - after respite

[Legallybleachblonde]

My Mum is currently in respite care at a BUPA care home and is starting to settle in well - she has been there 5 weeks. The local authority agreed to pay X amount and after submitting details of all his and Mum's finances, she is required to pay a top up of £29 per week. This is for short term care ie for the respite period. Adult social services are now assessing Mum's case in terms of permanent care. The report is going to the funding panel next week. My Dad is worried that the top up fees are going to increase and/or the funding amount will be decreased. I just wondered if anyone had been through this process and what the outcome was. We don't want to move Mum as she is settling in well albeit she is deteriorating. It's such a worry.

Sorry, forget to say, she has Alzheimer's and is 73.

Sorry, no experience of this. I would say, that if your Dad is still living in their home, its value won't be taken into account in the assessment. Nor will half the value of any joint savings - but you would do well to split any joint savings into a separate account as there have been people who have found that once "Mum's" share has been eaten up by care home fees, Councils are still assessing on the basis that half of what's left is Mum's.

I'd suggest also re-posting in Elderly Parents - that's a busier group and you may find someone there who can help.

It's unlikely to change much if she gets approval to remain there.

The financial assessment for short term care/respite doesn't take assets like the house into account.

A financial assessment for permanent residential care does consider things like the house or other assets but if there is still the spouse or a dependent living in the property then the property will be discounted from the final charge anyway.

So what she has been assessed as being able to pay towards her care already is unlikely to change much.

The £29 a week top up your dad pays could change in the future as this is at the discretion of the individual care home, but it's likely they would give notice of any changes.

If something happens to your dad meaning he is no longer using their joint home then at that point your mums share of the value of the property will need to be declared and used towards her care fees.

Thank you so much for the replies. The funding meeting got pushed back and is now taking place on Wednesday. But first, all parties (Dad and I, the home, social services and the medical professionals) have a video call/meeting tomorrow at 10.30 to discuss Mum's best interests. Social services, having now carried out all their research, have concluded that Mum lacks capacity so I think the meeting tomorrow is more of a formality which needs to be minuted. We should find out the outcome by the end of the week. Mum and Dad own their property outright and Dad will stay there. Let's hope you're right and the top up doesn't increase. I just hope the home are happy to keep her on the current arrangement.