Care home fees and top ups (dementia)

[WhatwouldJessicaJonesdo]

Feel like we are in a living nightmare at the moment and the financial pressure is worrying us to death.

F in L currently is in a care home for emergency respite. He lives at home with M in L and has mid stage dementia. MinL is on her knees caring for him and he will need to go into a home permanently at some point within the next few months.

Their assets are under 14k, and so they qualify for council funding. The last assesment indicates that the council will pay approx 500 per week.

Two homes have been offered within this budget, neither of which offer an en suite toilet or are easily accessible on the bus by M in L who does not drive. The toilet is required as FinL has urgency issues following cancer treatment and mobilty issues following a hip replacement, without an en suite he will have accidents affecting his dignity and causing more work for the home. To visit during the week M in L will need to get the bus, as we work in the week and have young children. There are no other family nearby to take her. The upshot being that M in L will travel right across town on a number of buses to visit in all weathers, or no one will be able to visit FinL during the working week to check on his wellbeing/reduce his isolation.

The home he currently is in for respite requires a top up of approx £200 per week (its doesn't seem to be offering any enhanced care but does offer an ensuite and is on the bus route.)

1k per month top up fees is completely unsustainable for MinL or us.

I understand the council have an obligation under the care act to meet FinLs needs with a home that is within their allowance, and top up should only be asked for if the home is offering an extra level of support/care.

Is it fair to ask the council to find an affordable care home which provides an en suite room and is easily accesible to MinL? Does that count as meeting his needs and is that likely to be enough to encourage them to increase the amount they will fund? We aren't looking for somewhere just because we want a more expensive care home, we just need somewhere that is good enough to provide a decent level of care, an en suite toilet and is accessible without paying 1k a month extra for it!

Its a minefield!!!

You can request a copy of the assessment.

Have a look for one of these for your county:

www.carechoices.co.uk/publication/gloucestershire-care-services-directory/

I'm a social worker dealing with cases like this every day.

I don't have time to hold your hand especially not as you're capable of looking for yourself. I only have to meet the eligible needs of the person and for the 'best value' possible. We are so busy we cant do the 'nice' things. If I was to spend time with every family as you seem to be complaining you're not getting then another five urgent cases would've come into my work list.

I so nearly called in sick today because I can't cope with my workload and feel so stressed that I'm drowning. I couldn't though as I had six urgent cases of carer breakdown awaiting a placement.

I'm so fed up of hearing 'the social worker didn't do anything' or 'social services are useless' and the like from people who have no idea how much we are doing behind the scenes.

As for top up- is increasing your hours sustainable? Do not commit to any top up if it can't be sustained as that could result in a move.

And there is no such thing as a list of current vacancies. Do you not realise that the nature of the business is that it's unpredictable and someone will die and the room will be immediately filled- there are rarely empty rooms for long and certainly not in a banding rate bed.

Homes don't list their fees as they can vary from bed to bed and giving you a rough price would be misleading.

Do MiL & FIL own a property? FIL would not be eligible for a Deferred Payment or Resident's (First Party) Top Up, because the property would not be included in the Financial Assessment in his circumstances. However, you could seek some independent financial advice on releasing equity from the property to enable MIL to pay a Third Party Top Up.

It would also be worth asking the LA if they would be prepared to allow MIL to be a Third Party Contributor by agreeing to a Voluntary Legal Charge on their property to secure the debt. The answer will probably be no, but worth an ask. - Contact the Financial Assessment Team with these questions, rather than the SW.

What malfoy says sounds about right. It's easy to find lists of care homes by googling, my df could have moved to a lightly larger rabbit hutch in the same home, and that would have put the price up by almost £100 per week, and decisions are made very quickly, just like in hospitals.

Thank you again for your advice, I appreciate the PP above who states social services don't have time to hand hold, but the very fact I have had to come on here to understand what the rules and options are demonstrates how poor the information has been from our council. I am in the public sector and fully understand the impossible pressures, but my council is notoriously badly managed and badly funded. The neighbouring council have a list online to download which updates each week with vacancies, from what you say they are the exception. We have never been through this before and have no idea of what to do - it shouldn't matter if the social worker has already explained the same thing 5 times already, we have never heard it before. Apologies for feeling frustrated during one of the most confusing and upsetting experiences of our lives.

Unfortunately there is already an equity release on the property which they took out 10 years ago to get by during their retirement.

And I'm not blaming the social workers who for the most part are doing their best in impossible circumstances, I'm blaming years and years of the crisis in social care funding being kicked down the road by politicians and successive cuts to public services and will be voting accordingly.

@WhatwouldJessicaJonesdo, I feel your pain. Whilst the SW? dealing with the social care side of the financial assessment application has been lovely, he can't get through to the Finance dept either. So I just have to wait Its a rabbit Warren of confusion.

Thank you, and hugs to you @bigTillyMint