Payment for care if low on cash

[nomorechoco]

Hi. I have an elderly relative who is fairly well off in terms of his house but not necessarily cash. He doesn't want to go into a home and currently has a couple of carers who come each day. Is now at the point where ideally he would have an overnight carer but what happens if he runs out of cash to pay for this?

He's not entitled to state assistance. Would it just come out of his estate upon his death? I think that's what happens for care home fees, so guessing it would be the same.

I've had a Google but can't find any info for those that are cared for in their home. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

I would contact AGEUK they are brilliant at answering this type of question.

I assume he had had a financial assessment done through his local authority ? If not then that should be his first step. If savings are under £23250, the local authority will help towards costs. Is he claiming all he is eligible for like Attendance Allowance which is non means tested ?

There's a higher rate for Attendance Allowance if you need help overnight I believe.

Does the relative have anything they might want to sell such as jewellery or a painting or collection of objects in order to make some money?

If his savings (not total assets) are under the threshold, the LA will pay for the level of care he is assessed as needing. He can also.claim.attendance allowance.

While he is living in his house, it is disregarded from the financial assessment.

However, if he is in need of full time/overnight care the LA may decide a care home.is required rather than offering full time care in his house

Along ashe is living in the house it won't be counted in the financial assessment but social services will only pay for what they deem necessary which isn't likely to be more than 4 times a day visits. He maybe able to get a personal budget paid directly so he can choose the pattern of care but it would be based on that assessment and would be highly unlikely to be enough for overnight care without significant top up.

Why is he not entitled to state assistance?

Has he considered equity release?

It's a bit of a myth that care homes will wait for payment until after a house-owning resident dies; some will defer payment until the house is sold, but it does need to be agreed upfront.

Why does he need overnight care?

What generally happens is that people get carers four times a day and the last one puts them to bed and they stay there until the first one gets them up.

If there are concerns about falls they get a necklace or wrist band to press for people to come and help them up 24 hours a day (my mum is in benefits and pays £23 a month for that as it's not free).

I don't know anyone who gets free overnight care.

They can deliver a pee bottle or commode and helpful bed rail to help them rise, so they can go to the loo without having to walk far in the night if the loo is downstairs and the bedroom upstairs. And pads of course to avoid accidents.

If the person has dementia and is wandering they generally end up in a specialist carehome.

PS if he isn't entitled to state care it's likely it's as he has too much money in savings.

So once he ploughs through this and it comes to the threshold remember to reevaluate his circumstances and reapply.

If he's just told you he doesn't qualify it could be he is mistaken? Get a proper financial check done.

As for care overnight, that's like a full day shift. So how much does that cost? £25k minimum a year? Unaffordable if you're correct and he doesn't have much cash. And if he does get that, after three years £75k will be gone.

Be cheaper with a prescribed sleeping pill at night to prevent wandering and make sure he rests?

A live-in carer will cost as much as a care home more or less. The advantage is you don't get the upheaval of moving out, but you don't get the benefits of a care home either - proper cooked meals, activities, company, a variety of staff rather than one carer who you may or may not get on with!

Sadly if he actually needs over night care then he will have to eiher move into a care home or pay for overnight carers from his own funds. If his assets were below the threshold for free care he wouldn't be granted overnight care in his own home, it's not remotely financially viable for that kind of care to be state funded.

If he isn't expected to live for very long he could do an equity release deal (effectively selling the house to a financial services company who give a lump sum that is a lot less than the market value of the house, along with an agreement that he can continue living there as long as he can - he could then spend the money on the care he needs but once that money is gone he will have no assets left, the house will no longer be his. So he would then be eligible for state funded care, but that would be via a care home.

But to what extent does he actually need overnight care? Is it an actual need, to have a human physically present? or is that just the preferred and more convenient way of achieving something that could be achieved without an overnight carer but with a short care visit each evening getting everything set up for him to pass the night safely and comfortably alone?

Thanks for all your messages. Sorry so long to reply. I'm not privy to his accounts so no idea of how much cash he actually has to fund this. He is becoming incontinent and has expressed a wish for overnight care. He lived most of his life overseas and pension comes from overseas so has never been entitled to benefits but is resident here. He's becoming incontinent which is why I think he's requested overnight care but I also think a carer until sleep and then one early morning could work.

Lots to consider who this will be funded. He'd certainly be fine for a while. Will also consult Age Uk. Thanks for all the advice.