Hi. My dad is 87 previously independent. It now looks like he will need care but as he owns his home he will get no financial aid. If we have no choice but to sell his home and he go into care I think it will break his heart. Has anyone experience of this scenario? Sorry it's a bit depressing ?
Sorry to hear about your Dad. The government did announce that they were going to change the rules regarding people having to sell their homes to cover cost of full time care. However, when this is likely to come into force is another thing. If your Dad needs full time care in a residential home then Social Services will go through all the funding aspects of this with you. Social Services are very reluctant to place people into care unless it is absolutely necessary as they prefer to give help to people in their own homes first. Whilst in hospital, he will be constantly assessed to see what he can and can't do and what help he would need at home. He may then be placed into a 'Rehab Unit' after hospital consider him fit to move for further treatment. The usual time in my area in re-hab is 12 weeks. However, every council authority is different and have their own rules.
When my Mum went into care, she lived in a council bungalow. She would have been allowed to keep the first £23,000 of her savings (she didn't have anywhere near that) and the council/government funded the rest. However, it took almost 5 years before they agreed to take her into a residential home having exhausted all avenues of giving her care at home. She was 94 and although she hadn't had a stroke, she was suffering from paranoid dementia and had very little mobility. Even after that, because my Mum refused to go into care, they had to take out a court order to place her into care against her wishes for her own health and safety which also took a long time.
The best advice I can give is to let things develop to see how Dad recovers and then take each step one at a time.
Regarding care homes. exactly as suggested, do let things develop before you comit.
A plan that is rarely used, but so clearly a good solution, is to buy Dads care for life. He buys a policy that pays out at the rate of the annual care home charge and escalates by 10%. The care home agrees that they will not increase their charges by more than 10%.
I have used this suggestion with several elderlies but not a stroke survivor. The cost of the policy isnt as much as I would have anticipated. Usually the cost is met by selling the elderlies home. One can think of this as just another house move. You arent stuck with the same care home for life, as you can take the policy with you if necessary.
This also allows many to get a much better (more expensive) care home and some of them are just fabulous. I have my eyes on this arrangement.
The big downside is that you buy a policy for say £100,000 and then pas away within a few months. But I would then be deceased so it wouldnt matter.
Best wishes
Colin
So sorry to hear about your dad.
My mum had a stroke nearly four years ago and had to have 24 hour nursing care. She too was an independent 83 year old. She also is self funding and I am selling her house now as her savings have come to an end. The only plus side to this is you get to choose the right nursing home for them.
Mum has aphaisa, so I am unable to have a conversation with her about it but I know this is the last thing she would have wanted.
Thank you for this advice. They don't really publicise this finance arrangement but I will look into it. X
Being unable to communicate must be so hard for you. Having feedback form other people on this site is invaluable so thanks for responding. X
The care home should be able to tell you about it. They will also suggest some insurance companies from which you could choose.
Maybe the rates are bad, in line with the hopeless interest rates. But this arrangement was rarely used when the rates were good.
The biggest benefit is avoiding the terrible situation when Dad lives a good few years and he runs out of cash.
Best wishes
Colin