Care Home Finance/Care needs assessment LA

[FlatOutAgain]

Hi,

Tomorrow we are looking at our first care home (assuming the time we have just given them is ok). I have spoken to the LA and they say to get in touch with them when mum has around 2 months worth of self-funding left. In numbers it looks like:

Mum's savings 35k approx
Upper limit 23k approx
Balance 12k
The home will assess mum but on her current needs they have given a approx figure of 850 per week

This means that on day one of her arrival in the home we are already around 2 months from mum hitting the upper limit.

I will then have to arrange a care needs assessement which I understand looks at the home to make sure it meets mums requirements (Alzheimers) and is not a 5 star hotel.

The financial assessment then takes place. What does this look like?

thank you

@TheTeenageYears Yes the relationship is hurting dad with the additional stress as he tends to shut down. Yesterday I spoke to him about his two closest friends and he had no idea who they were. I think this he is definately suffering from cognitive decline due to the constant situation with mum. I have this vision of him being lonely in the evenings and need to process that.

@MereDintofPandiculation thank you. There was a cleaner and a couple of cooks as well. It was all a little chaotic as an ambulance and two paramedics were on site dealing with a situation.

I can't comment on the care home as my experience is limited to certain things. I think if you got a nice vibe that counts for something and if it's easy for you and your dad to visit that's good and it sounds like they will make him very welcome. Your dad's health could possibly pick up a bit if he has less stress though if he's on the decline could it be that a home is also in his future and he could potentially be in the same one with your mum. Having to deal with both declining at the same tome is very tough. Try and focus on some positives, will mum be less isolated in the home? There will be activities to stimulate her. Your dad will be getting out and going to see her and having interaction with staff as well there.

With the funeral plan, if it's helpful for you to do these things in advance the LA shouldn't say anything about it. If it's more stressful for you right now then it's not worth doing right now.

Most LA's have a team who manages the financial affairs of those who lack capacity to do so themselves and have no one else willing/able / suitable to to do so for them. I have worked in one of these and it was part of the annual financial review to check if the person was able to say what they wanted and have the arrangements made in advance and pre paid. This was accepted by the financial assessment team. These clients would have reviews to ensure their needs are being met and that the team looking after their finances was acting appropriately and identifying and using their funds for the persons benefit.

Any reasonable expenditure that benefits your mother will not be seen as deprivation of assets.

@euff 100% correct about Dad ending up there as well and yes I believe his mental health would pick up if mum was not there. As you point out his physical health may also improve (if its not too late) as he has a purpose in life and can get on/off the bus ok. A while back when mum was in hospital for 3 weeks we did see an improvement in him.

My Dh has managed their finances for quite some time and is happy to deal with the LA. As you correctly say they do not have the capacity. Dh has been managing all of their paperwork as well and has alway had deprevation of assets in mind with full paper trails for money spent. That is for mum and dad.

Didnt find the time today (working) for the funeral calls but will make them tomorrow.

Thank you

I would advise making the decision earlier rather than waiting for a crisis that makes it unavoidable. This was our biggest headache when FIL had stage 4 cancer. He wanted to keep her home until the bitter end despite it being clear he couldn't cope anymore. In the end it worked out but it was pure luck for us that someone in the preferred care home died the day before a crisis hospital admission the day before we went on holiday. As it was BIL had to take leave and move in for a couple of days. A week later they would have been visiting his wife's family abroad. Not an experience I would want anyone to go through.