Live-in Carer - what happens when the money runs out?

[AbsoluteMeringue]

My DM has had a live-in carer for the last year but we are becoming aware that the cost of this and maintaining her large house and garden means her pension and savings will only cover this for a couple more years.
Does anyone know if the local council will help with costs to keep her in her own home? Thanks in advance.

The Council will prefer to keep her at home. But they may disagree that she needs a full time carer, or they may feel that it is too expensive compared with a care home.

I doubt they will help with costs to maintain the garden or house.

No way with the council fund a full time career. The maximum I've ever heard if anyone getting is four care visits a day. And the cost of that will be a debt which your mum's estate will pay when she dies.

Can you do an equity release on her home to fund continued full time care?

Contact Age Concern. Their advisers are amazing. They also send you a huge lack of booklets outlining the whole care entitlement and finance stuff.

But you need to prepare yourself for a shock, I'm afraid. Your mum's present lifestyle is absolutely not going to be maintained by the council. Social care demand is massive and the money (and the manpower) just isn't there.

Sad though it is, continuing to live in a huge house with a big garden is going to become unmanageable.

Pack! Not lack.

Does she have attendance allowance? Non means tested. Get advice on completion from age uk etc.
www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance

@saraclara

No way with the council fund a full time career. The maximum I've ever heard if anyone getting is four care visits a day. And the cost of that will be a debt which your mum's estate will pay when she dies.

Can you do an equity release on her home to fund continued full time care?

Why is there a debt on her estate? She’ll be assessed on her income and savings, but not-on the value of the home if she’s still living in it.

Mere My mum could end up in the same position. I thought that if the savings ran out, the council could put a charge on the house to pay for the care out of her estate when she's gone.

@EmmaH2022 the house won't count for assessment as long as she is living in it, only income and savings. If she moves to a care home, then the house will count providing there isn't a spouse or civil partner living there.

@EmmaH2022

Mere My mum could end up in the same position. I thought that if the savings ran out, the council could put a charge on the house to pay for the care out of her estate when she's gone.

The house that she’s living in isn’t included in the assessment, in other words it’s treated as if she doesn’t own it.

The charge arises when she is in a care home but the house can’t be sold immediately for some reason.

“ Will I have to sell my home to pay for care?

“If you need a paid carer to come into your home, the value of your house won't be included in the financial assessment.

“But if you're paying for a care home, the value of your house will be included unless your spouse or partner is still living in it.”

www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support-guide/help-from-social-services-and-charities/financial-assessment-means-test/

Under some circumstances some councils will pay for a live in carer - it will come down to a needs assessment, what her health situation is and so forth. For example, I met a lady recently with a live in carer funded by the council, but this lady lived in a property rented from the council and was terminally ill and it was deemed in her best interests for the short time before the end of her life.

A couple more years is a very long time for someone already needing a live in carer, and her needs may have changed a lot by then.

Share and care. They get free or subsidised housing for assistance, be it shopping, washing, cooking, cleaning etc. not sure if it covers nursing, but it's worth a check. Check out shareandcare.co.uk. They are DRB'd and referenced. Does she need 24 hour care or just help with dinner, cleaning washing or just having company etc.

It completely depends on why she needs the carers / her care needs.

The council offered to provide my Mum with either a full time live in carer or a place at a nursing home, both options full funded despite my Mum owning her own home outright. (This was 2019 and in Norfolk). She was assessed under the NHS continuing healthcare scheme - she had copd, bowel cancer (which wasn’t terminal at the time), mobility issues with her knees and some depressive issues. She lived alone and the council initially provided carers 3 times a day but quickly reassessed and increased this when they found it wasn’t enough.

Initially she thought she would opt for the live in carer but we found it hard finding the right person and so she actually went into the nursing home in the end.

The council fully funded her care until she died - which was a good while afterwards. The house was then sold after her death. They didn’t attempt to take any money back etc.

So despite many posters telling you the council won’t pay, in some situations they do. So I would start by contacting your local council and go from there. I did have to be quite pushy.

But continuing health care funding is extremely difficult to obtain. It requires constant nursing decisions, not just constant nursing care.

@countrygirl99

But continuing health care funding is extremely difficult to obtain. It requires constant nursing decisions, not just constant nursing care.

Exactly. My mum is paralysed and helpless. She can use her right hand and arm and that's it. She had to be hosted for every bit of care. She's in a wheelchair and can't even turn her head to see someone who's not directly in front of her. We attempted to get a continuing care allowance several times but it was always refused.

She was in a nursing home until she ran out of liquid funds. When the council had to take over her costs they put her in an extra care flat with four care visits a day. She had a rental property the income of which goes to the council to offset some of the massive debt that is being accrued. When she dies they are entitled to the proceeds from the house sale.

Are you in Scotland or England? The answer is different depending on where you are. In Scotland personal care at home is free, but as pp has said you are unlikely to get a live-in carer. However, you could ask for a direct payment - they give your mother the money she would be entitled to and she tops it up herself if possible. It does all depend on her requirements - they will look at options including residential care, and some people do qualify for full time care at home but there has to be a clear reason why they can’t go into a nursing home.

@countrygirl99

But continuing health care funding is extremely difficult to obtain. It requires constant nursing decisions, not just constant nursing care.

I think it completely depends (unfortunately and unfairly) on whereabouts in the U.K. you are. It is very much a postcode lottery as to how difficult it is to obtain.