i agree with all comments made and contributions , thanks to all concerned

dave

Having been through this with my father in law recently, the only thing that the officious from the council said of use was that if you used money to buy a funeral plan(s) then the council would not consider this as money gifted in order to reduce capital. We purchased plans for both my in laws which significantly reduced the capital.

Don't worry about insurance policies that may have been bought wth the intention of paying funeral costs, they should pay out cash in full when needed. They are not capital within the meaning of the 'means test'. Check the conditions of the policy to make sure that there is a cash payment option if they are not being used to pay for a funeral.

Plan ahead - money can be gifted under Inland Revenue rules but if you do it close to geing for care funding then the council wil consider it as capital and count it as if you still had it in savings.

Unfortunately my father in law died before we even had the paperwork back for the plans, but the funeral was so much easier having purchased the plan.

If your mother reaches a point where she needs to be placed in a nursing home it is important to understand both the patient and family rights. Be certain to obtain a copy of her rights prior to placement and be very clear with nursing home staff regarding any special needs your mother may have. If the nursing home has a high turnover of staff you may need to be extra vigilant if your mother has special nursing care needs.

Solomon

My great aunt had to go into a care home in her early 90's. As she owned her own home and had savings, she had to pay for the care home fees herself. In the area in Dorset, at the time, the care home network fees ranged from £26k to about £35k per year depending on needs/facilities.

I must say that in Dorset the local authority were very helpful in finding the best home for her needs and the care home was lovely. The owner/manager of the home was brilliant and the staff although they did change occasionally had an amazing disposition to providing the best care they could. When you consider the work required to care for people with needs, dementia, incontinency and all general daily needs, 365 days 24/7, the annual fees of about £27k were actually very good value for money.

This has been my only experience of a relative in a care home to date and was a very positive one. It is a shame that the good work of many care homes is sometimes overshadowed by negative stories in the media.

Huckster

Huckster

Yes I agree! There are some fantastic homes that just get overshadowed by bad press - some of the homes offer lovely scenery as well as fantastic care, yet they are still overlooked.

And yes, even though the annual fees sounds a lot initially, when you consider all the work that goes into the homes and care plans, the cost is great value for money.

Thanks for your response.

Solomon

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