Section 117 funding and top up

[itispersonal]

Family member has been sectioned and is currently under a section 3 under the mental capacity act, however their time being in hospital is coming to an end and now looking at next steps. They also have Alzheimer's/ dementia.

As they have been held under a section 3 they get section 117 funding and so if they needed to go into a nursing residential home, council would pay.
There is no PoA or deputyship but family member has a considerable amount of money from a house sale, social worker is unsure of family member can top up their funding so they don't go into council property. Has anyone been in this situation before?

There was someone recently who had a parent on S117 funding and was paying a top up for a better room (not a different home). Will see if I can ferret out the relevant posts

I think you need a new social worker🙄…. If they work in that field they should know….or ask their senior colleagues

Sorry- can't find it. Hopefully they will find this thread.

“Council property”? Do you mean a council owned care home? Very few of those now. Councils buy places in privately run homes.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking more expensive is better, or better physical condition and facilities means better care. Keep an open mind.

The answer seems to be “yes”

Yes I probably mean will accept council payment.

Yes I agree to more expensive isn't better, but family member doesn't see themselves as old and so the current suggestions by the social worker just wouldn't suit her.

My over-80 father with Parkinsons, who could barely walk across a room, didn't see himself as old. He thought all the other residents of his care home were older and frailer than he was.

He was wrong, and needed the care a residential care home gor frail older people could provide. Putting him up at his old athletics club might have suited his self image better, but it didn't suit his needs.

What are social workers suggesting, and what do you think would be better?

We are both suggesting residential homes we are agreement with that but it's the type, style, facilities and people.

We want the best for aunty (not expensive, but most suited) and not the cheapest as council as paying! Want to use her funds on her and also not take a council place away from someone who wouldn't have the choice to top up!

Fees aren't necessarily a good indicator - most care homes have different rates for self funders (can be double the council rates). Just go by the place. Some homes will only accept people that can pay top up fees as the council rates are so low.

If your aunty is subject to a S3 and therefore a S117, you will need to find out if a specialised care /nursing home is being recommended, which could limit the choices you have. I wouldn't have thought an ordinary residential would be suitable - you could need a specialist EMI (Elderly Mentally Ill) home.

Having said that FIL was under a S3 and S117 and his funds topped up his care home placement. My SIL also selected the home as well as it was out of borough.

You don't need to worry about taking a council place away. Councils don't pay for a set number of places. Wherever she goes she will be "taking a place away" from someone. Although that's a considerate stance you are taking.

Yes, we paid top-ups for a larger en suite room when MIL received S117 aftercare. The council had a fixed amount they would pay, which covered a room in a home that specialised in both dementia and mental health conditions, but we felt a larger room with a pleasant view and an en suite toilet would be beneficial.
If your aunt has been sectioned, brutally speaking it's unlikely that the more genteel types of dementia-friendly homes will have the ability to care for her. They're not really equipped to deal with more volatile patients. I know that MIL, both in hospital and in the home, continued to see other residents as being much older and incapable than herself. This manifestly wasn't the case.
I remember there being a great deal of confusion about who was 'allowed' to pay the top-ups. In our case there was a POA who paid them out from MIL's own bank account. It was my impression that the home didn't much care where the money came from, as long as they got it.