Care home funding

[Orangesandlemons77]

My dad is in respite care atm and it is costing 2K per week. he has dementia. Is this roughly correct / normal?

They have said when his savings go down to 23K he might get some council help but then it would only be up to £700 a week.

What would happen then? I mean if he can't afford it, would they kick him out?

He doesn't have any assets, to be clear. Family can't afford to 'chip in' as the care home suggested.

Does he have a partner/wife? Where did he live before going to respite? Has the family home been sold? I'm afraid I don't know the answer, but beginning to go through this with a relative too.

2K sounds a lot, most are less than £1500 per week but if it's a specialist dementia home then that might account for higher cost

I imagine that your father would be expected to use any income he has (pension) to top up the weekly cost once his savings drop to £23K

Gateway to care should be able to explain the options

You need to ask them. Homes in my area have started to say if you can pay for 2 years self funding, they will then accept local authority rates when funds drop below the threshold. But not all do this.

£2k per week is high. Respite usually costs more than long term though so this may go down if he's staying there permanently. Again, ask them. How long would his savings last at this level?

I would probably be looking around for somewhere cheaper.

Recently been through this
Relative gave me POA
Relative with dementia needed to go in to a secure rest home
House had to be sold ,and profits used to pay the rest home fees
Well over £400,000 to start with .
Relative has about £15 ,ooo left in bank account and uses her pension and contribution from council to pay The rest .
Relative allowed to keep £15 ooo in bank account for clothes ,glasses funeral costs ect .
Council did try to move relative to a cheaper home ,when council took over paying..where she would of had to share a bedroom and use communal bathroom.
But I managed to argue against that ,and she was able to stay in her ensuite room ,in the care home

How much money has he in savings, he needs a financial assessment. Ask the carehome if he can stay on once the money goes below the threshold, he should get assessed before then. If he's paying privately he can apply for attendance allowance and either chc or fnc payments to help towards the fees. Has he had a full care needs and financial assessment yet, what assets does he have including any cash.

No, he is divorced, lives alone in council sheltered housing, was not coping with 3X carers a day.

Sorry, just checked it is 2K per week for respite, £1750 per week staying long term. In Scotland, not sure if that makes any difference to anything.

Wow, yes I can see how this might happen.

Wouldn't attendance allowance and state pension stop while in the care home? I'm guessing together might add up to around £800 a month so would be a substantial amount

https://www.careinfoscotland.scot/topics/care-homes/paying-care-home-fees/

Thanks, would that be for Scotland do you know?

Thanks, that looks useful.

It seems like quite a minefield. Think it might be better if he can staying in his sheltered housing and managing with people coming in really, if possible, with respite breaks.

scotland has a higher threshold of savings before council starts to pay, I think.

you continue to get state pension and attendance allowance in the care home, but it is used as income to offset the care home costs if the state is paying and then a small amount is left with the person for individual spending eg biscuits, toiletries

Talk to the home - some do accept to keep people without top ups

The way it works with my council is that the resident continues to use pension etc to pay the care home fees then the council tops up to £800 or so

The care home I am in contact with has different fees depending on how high the needs are - starting at £1200 and going up to £1600 - but they cannot provide care for all dementia residents if their needs prove too high

I wouldn't give up yet - keep trying to work through it as this home has been a god send to me and my family even though the process of very difficult

No. Self funders can claim both.

Don't let them bully or guilt trip you into paying. There is absolutely no obligation on relatives to pay. It's his bill to pay, whatever his health conditions.

Thanks all, very useful. I think I will try and ring round a few different ones, this one was the only one which seemed to have vacancies for respite.

That's good to know about the AA and pension. He's only on the lower rate of AA but since got worse and probably needs the higher rate now. Another nightmare I expect to sort out..

Do you gave power of attorney, who arranged for him to go into the respite home, I would wait until he has had both a care needs and a financial assessment so he is in the right place then speak to the sheltered housing officer and his social worker who can help arrange everything.

Does he have capacity, if so does he want to move into a carehome and agree to pay, if not you need poa or deputyship, or the equivalent in Scotland.

We have PoA yes, he went in because family were on holiday,

We have been waiting years for a care assessment, hopefully it will happen soon.

No social worker either

Recent experience of this - my nan's savings ran out after 8 years of self-funding. She is in a fairly expensive home. The LA wanted to move her to a cheaper place, however they had to prove that to do so would not be at her detriment. They failed, as to uproot a frail elderly lady with dementia and anxiety would obviously be to her detriment.

They pay the majority and she tops up from her SRP and small PP.