Paying for a care home

[Glenthebattleostrich]

MIL has had to move into a care home, she is subject to a deprevation of liberty order from social services and can no longer live independently as she has advancing Alzheimer's.

We have found a care home we like in a family run home, very highly rated and good reputation/ cqc report. There are 2 rooms available, a small one without an en suite for £950 per week or a large one with a wet room for £1500 per week. We are initially self funding as she has about £1100 per month in pensions, a (wreck of a) house worth about £120000 and about £20000 in savings. After that we will have to get funding.

Where would we stand with MIL having the more expensive room? Would the fact we chose the more expensive option be held against, seen as a deprivation? I honestly feel she would settle better in the biggest room as she could have some of her own furniture, pictures and personal bits in it and she would happily sit with. coffee watching the sea and people wandering past.

Advice would be most welcome!

It depends, what are the council rates in your area? When your MIL isn't self funding anymore someone will have to pay the top up fees. Whether this is from her pension or yourselves.

Otherwise she will have to be moved to home which allows non self funding residents or a cheaper room

Choosing the more expensive room wouldn't been seen as DOL as it's for her own needs. You think that this room would be more suitable for her xx

If you are self funding you can choose whichever room you like.

With older people always make the best decisions you can for them in the here and now.

IF it gets to the point where her money has run out the worst that will happen is the home will downgrade her to a cheaper room.

If they are a good home though it's highly unlikely they will actually do that when the time comes though.

The deprivation of liberty order has absolutely nothing to do with finances. It is just a legal sticking plaster for the local authority to use to demonstrate if it was ever challenged in court that they have followed proper process and she isn't being unnecessarily deprived of her liberty in a care home.

If she has under £23,250 in savings she'll be eligible for a 12 week property disregard. (Funding for the first 12 weeks; she'd pay a contribution; she can top up herself during this period if needed). Then when self funding it wouldn't be seen as a deprivation of assets for her to be in the more expensive room. Local authorities only pay up to their rates though, so ask the home what would happen once she's run out of money. They may have cheaper rooms she could move to, or she may have to move out. Get it in writing if they agree she can stay.

I can’t see deprivation of capital being an issue.

The first question is would the local authority insist on a room change due to them having a maximum budget for each individual (varies according to need and assessment of course). Perhaps the care home can let you know if they have ever experienced this?

Or indeed, would there even be a room within the local authority budget - one would hope so given the pension income?

and once you are not self-paying do the care home in question take people who are not self-payers? Not all do.

I would if it were me think first and foremost about quality of life like you appear to be doing.

Sorry you are going through this OP, I have been there.

There’s a chance that if your DM’s money runs out she will have to move to a cheaper home, not just a cheaper room, so I would discuss this carefully with the home before making a decision.

If it’s likely that you will run out of money in less than 3 years in the expensive room (the average length of time spent in a care home) then you may want to choose the cheaper room now rather than your DM having to move when she’s more frail and confused in future.

I am sorry to say that your DM probably won’t notice the difference between one too and another of her dementia is quite advanced.

Is she getting Attendance Allowance? If not, apply for it, every little helps

I would check with the home what happens when she runs out of funds. My great uncle was in a lovely home. Self funding, gorgeous view of the sea. His contract said that if he stayed for 3 years plus self funded then he could stay at la rates but he would have to move rooms. Cheaper rooms were at rear of building so no view and really quite small with shared facilities.

He died before that was necessary. In a similar situation I’d probably do the same. Might as well have a happy few years.

You can claim AA if living in a nursing home and self funding. If the local authority are supporting you won't be eligible

Useful clarification for others, but the OP.s MIL is self-funding, so she does need to claim AA

Thanks so much for the advice. We had no idea about attendance allowance, as you say every little helps!

DM is in a care home, which her savings paid for until they hit £23,000

After a financial assessment - this was done in advance of her money getting that low, we were given a dare when care would be laid for. Then the negotiations began.

Basically the council decide how much they can pay and if they can afford the current home. Which is obviously the simplest & best option for the person in care, but DMs home was more than they would agree to (only because of a massive increase of over 25%) so she had to move.

The new home is perfectly nice, but it's quite an upheaval for the person in care .

Not a dare! A date 🤦🏻‍♀️

Omg and not laid for - paid for!

Thanks @flotsomandjetsome. I hope that your Mum is settled now.

Social services did say in a meeting that her next move needs to be her last do I've emailed my meeting notes to them and said if I have no response in 7 days it will be taken as an agreed record so hopefully that will help.

We have decided to go for the £950 room with a sea view. Having looked at our finances we can afford a top up in 3 years (about when the money will run out) if we need to as we have an endowment coming out soon, which was going to pay of the remainder of our mortgage but we can juggle things.

Really appreciate the help. Thank you