alternative to nursing home

[mypoorweemum]

My Mum is currently in hospital having had a bad fall at home. She has Alzheimers. Up until her admission to hospital she was caring (with help from family) for herself in her sheltered house.
Now her condition has worstened and Social Workers are advising a nursing home.
I'd like to try to get Mum back home in the hope that she'll feel a little more settled there. I'd like to avoid a Nursing Home for as long as possible.
Our Local Authority (Scotland) will give around £580 towards Nursing Home fees.
Does anyone know what amount they will give if we opt for getting care in at home?

TIA for any info, it's all a bit overwhelming...hoped we'd have had more time to organise options.

I'm really sorry but I don't know the system in Scotland. In England care at home is assessed on your assets (not your home) and if you have under about 23.5k they will do a financial assessment and fund a significant amount of a care package.

They are able to arrange up to 4 visits a day but no cover for nights. There's also the possibility of a Day Centre. There is something called Telecare (I think ) you can look at as well.

Is she getting Attendance Allowance ?

Thanks for your reply.
It's just her state pension she receives, no attendance allowance.

Age uk website has info for Scotland.
www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/publications/information-fact-sheets/

There is one document on assessment for care in the home.
www.ageuk.org.uk/PageFiles/18187/Facthseets%202013/Factsheet%2041s%20-%20Local%20authority%20assessment%20for%20community%20care%20services.pdf?dtrk=true

This is from this doc

Paying for care at home
Some care services are free:
? personal care services for people over 65 living in their own homes.
This should include help with bathing, personal hygiene, dressing,
getting in and out of bed, continence management, assistance with
eating and special diets
? any nursing care provided by the NHS for those living at home
You will probably have to pay for help with tasks such as housework,
shopping and making beds.
For other help, each Council has discretion about which services it will charge
for, and what it will charge. Charges can vary for similar services in different
parts of Scotland. The Council will assess how much you should pay for the
services you need, and any charge must be reasonable for you to pay. You
have the right to ask your Council to reduce the amount you are being asked
to pay, or waive it altogether, if you can show that the amount is not
reasonable or affordable.
Further details can be found in the Age Scotland’s Factsheet, Paying for care
and support at home

Thankyou so much for that.
I'll get a look at this info later on this evening.

How bad is her Alzheimers? It doesn't sound promising and if there is no one else on the scene full time, I suggest you look up the local nursing homes (not the same as care homes of course, there will be fewer nursing homes than care homes in your area) to see how bad/good they are and your options. One could argue that it is better to get your Mum in sooner rather than later so she can feel they know the scene a bit while still some marbles are intact. But if the nursing homes are rubbish, well, all I can say is it never hurts to be well informed at least. Try to find out about them by word of mouth as there are no TripAdvisor style reviews for homes, and the CQC reviews are very bland. Care Home UK website lists your local homes, but doesn't distinguish between care homes and nursing homes, you have to do that yourself, and the 'reviews' are only allowed to be positive so no one dishes the dirt/tells both sides of it.

Homes often range between depressing with demented noisy types and crap decor, but at least lively, and bland empty mansions with a winding staircase, lovely flowers in reception, large rooms but a strange lack of communal spirit, it feels like Heaven in a bad way, like something of that David Niven Powell Pressburger film (forgets name).

How about paying for a full time carer so they get full board on site to look after your Mum? Pricey - but so are nursing homes, at least certainly in England, may be different in Scotland. That way your Mum can stay at home for a while longer.

Oh, and visit your local Age Concern.

Thank you so very much for the info x

There is some really good information about the care system and financing on the Care Information Scotland website, which might help? www.careinfoscotland.co.uk/home.aspx

I'm don't know a lot about the system in Scotland, but in England you would get an assessment done by your Local Authority and they would award funding based on eligible need. You could then use that to pay for home care for your mum, so that she can stay at home. The amount is determined on a case-by-case basis. The website above, at a quick glance, seems to suggest a similar procedure.

Someone suggested above about hiring a carer for the home, which can be a good alternative to a nursing home. You can do this through an agency, or you can employ one yourself. If you were wanting to hire someone yourself, then there are a few things that you need to bear in mind, but there is a handy article on that here: www.youretheboss.org.uk/news/2013/08/02/how-to-employ-a-paid-carer/28

I hope you find the solution that you are looking for - good luck.

Nursing homes are often thought of as the only option when seeking long term care services. However, there are alternatives available that may provide a more appropriate level of care and promote independent living. The Department of Elder Affairs administers the Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES) program. It provides free assessments to determine medical eligibility for nursing home care and community-based alternatives. If you are unsure about which long-term care service is the most appropriate for your needs, contact your local CARES office. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman office can also assist you and provide information about long-term care services. The numbers are listed in the Important Phone Numbers section of the Nursing Home Guide.

I can only speak about my experience. My dad has AD. After a couple of crises we tried to settle him in a NH but that was I unacceptable to him- he flew into a rage and we were told by the manager they wouldn't t be able to cope- he s 79 but not frail and very ( too!) mobile. He keeps getting on trains and getting lost . Basically his dementia team told me we needed to up his care to most of the day., for his own safety. He is self funding, we re inEngland and he has more than £23000. Itis costing a packet but for now it s the best solution for him. My brother is there at night. He suffers from mental illness so can't provide the daytime care.

This might help you.
www.carehome.co.uk/care_search_results.cfm/searchcountry/Scotland/searchchtype/local-authority