Paying for care home fees

[RainbowCookie]

Hi hoping someone knows more on this as the advice is very conflicting.

My Dad has gone downhill rapidly, he’s currently in hospital with little cognition, he’s unable to hold a conversation or be understood. He is doubly incontinent and unable to walk or stand.

Drs have recommended a care home due to high needs. However my parents have a fair amount of savings so would have to self fund. I understand that he will have to use all his savings and half his joint savings to pay for care, however this will only last 18 months or so and his illness is not terminal he could be there for years.

The social worker said when the savings run out, as my parents own a house together they will have to do equity release on 50% of the house value and use that money before the council will fund anything.

My Mum is terrified of equity release, this will essentially trap her in her home as if she ever sells she’ll have to pay off the equity release (I guess the interest will mount up as well so she could end up with very little). She won’t be able to downsize as flats are only a little cheaper than the cost of her 3 bed.

So my Dad is moving home, Mum is getting a hospital bed and a hoist in the lounge. I’m very worried how she’ll cope. She is going to get carers in twice a day, but she’ll be trapped in the house mostly. I live a 12 hour flight away so can’t help on a regular basis.

Has anyone been through this with self funding care, there has to be a solution that doesn’t involve my Mum getting into debt or killing herself being a carer for someone who should be in a nursing home.

Thanks very much

He is housebound and sits in his chair most of the day well in fact all the time, he ha to walk with a frame and can only do this in small steps. He is going down hill and Im just trying to get ahead of myself in case it is the case he has to go into some form of care home.

So my Dad was turned down for CHC, which is gutting, he was borderline apparently so we are going to appeal. To give a sense of how hard it is to get CHC - my Dad is completely bed bound and unable to sit up without support, he has no idea who he is or where he is. He has pressure sores and constant UTIs, he cannot feed himself or communicate in anyway. He hallucinates and has occasional violent outbursts (he is on sedatives for this). He has a heart and lung condition. Not sure how he could be much worse really.

My Mum is adamant that if he goes into a nursing home, which is where he needs to be, they will put a charge on the house. She has this in writing from the discharge team - or whoever deals with all the care options maybe social services (I haven’t seen this yet) but the lady who did the CHC agreed with this.

So basically when my Dad gets discharged he is going home to my Mums care, so she doesn’t have this charge over the house which will prevent her from down sizing in future. She will get carers in but will be self funding this so is limited in the number of hours she can pay for.

I'm so sorry. Definitely appeal it. I do think at some point he will be awarded it so it may only be a year for example of paying for it or possibly less depending on how he fares with his health. Good luck.