Paying for nursing home care question

[AInightingale]

I know I should be addressing this question to a SW, but I can't contact her successfully, so just posting on here for a bit of advice. Elderly mother was living in assisted care (semi independent) and self-funding at a rate which she could afford. Unfortunately she's been hospitalised for a few weeks after a bad fall and has very limited mobility. If the worst comes to the worst and she can't return to her own little flat, even with a care package, and requires nursing home care, how will this be funded, given that the need is health-based? She does also have dementia, which I understand requires self-funding if you have capital (she has a house which will be going on the market at some point). But which condition takes precedence when they are assessing these things?

If your mum does require a care home rather than daily care visits, then you can come to a deferred plan so the fees are paid by the council until the house is sold - but you will have to be very proactive in getting the house sold as quickly as possible. When your mums savings, including what you get from the house, reduce to below £23,000 ( I think) then some funding will kick in and the fees paid in full when savings go down to around £16,000.

Without knowing how long your mum will be paying for a care home, it is worth asking prospective homes what their policy is for self paying residents who run out of money! Where my mum was, if someone had lived with them for a number of years ( not told exact number) they usually did a deal with the council on the grounds that it would be detrimental to move them to a cheaper home.

We were paying £25 an hour for carers ( two years ago) so 4 visits a day would have cost £700 a week which would soon eat up your mums pensions and savings even if she stayed at home.

That was my understanding too @Ihateslugs. It isn't good to keep moving elderly confused people and will just make their condition worse.