Moving local authority for care home.

[IsolaPribby]

Hi, I am beginning to investigate the possibility of getting a care home for my elderly mother, but in my local authority, and not the one she currently lives in. Has anyone done this, and is it even possible?
Currently she lives in London, and I am on the South Coast, in West Sussex. So I am not able to visit as much as either of us would like. I work, have a school age child etc, so it's hard to visit more than every other month. Her health is deteriorating.
She is currently in a housing association flat, and we would not have funds available for care.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

Yes it's possible.

However, her local authority has to first agree that she is eligible for residential care (and there can be a high bar for this). If they do then they can make the placement in another local authority, but they may only pay the going rate of that local authority and anything above that would have to be funded by a 3rd party (you?)

If they don't feel she is eligible for residential care then they will offer her care at home instead in the first instance.

Does your mum already have any care going into her at home? If not it's quite a leap to go from that to a care home! She is unlikely to be eligible at this time if she is managing okay at home without support.

You could look at moving her nearer to you by house swapping or looking at extra care places near you that would be a step closer to residential care but still independent (just has care on site usually if she then needs dom care).

If she is eligible for residential care there are two choices really.

You get her assessed by her own authority then request the placement be near you. They will do a search of her own area to set her budget then that is how much she will have to spend in the new area. As PP said this could be less than the going rate in the new area.

Other option is to move her in with you for a bit, then she has moved of her own accord to the new area and is therefore their responsibility. You then say you made a mistake and you can't cope with her and she gets placed in a home near you and the higher price is covered.

Hope this makes sense.

Thank you @hatgirl and @ladyinacampervan.
She doesn't have any care at the moment, but I envisage this as a distinct possibility in the future.
I will look at moving her to similar accommodation nearer me, but wanted to minimise the changes for her. She has been in her current flat for 40 years, I lived there too as a child until I left to get married.
We don't have the space for her to move in with us.
I am currently thinking of increasing the frequency of my weekend visits. But lots to think about.
Thanks again.

Worth applying for attendance allowance if she needs help and using it for carers: cleaner etc.
Non means tested but get help from age uk, cab etc completing it.

If she wants to move, would sheltered or supported housing be an option? This would give her continued independence to the extent that she wants it, but with some support or safety built in. It doesn't need to be full blown "care home" unless she really struggles to manage on a day to day basis, and that does not sound like it is the case. Alternatively, housing swaps or other social housing options may be available - your local Council would normally have some form of housing advisory service with whom you could discuss possible options local to you.