Hi,
Thanks for letting me join.
My mum has Alzheimer’s, memory issues and diabetes and my dad has dementia and advanced Parkinson’s. I have been living and caring for them now some 8 years and things are getting to the point where we may need to put them into care. I am doing all I can to make sure this doesn’t happen while I can cope but working 6 days a week and caring is taking its toll.
They own their home and have a decent amount of cash in in their savings. My concern is that if they go into care, the money they have will go first but then they will take their home. My question is, do I have any rights to be able to continue living in the house once they go into care or will I be forced to move out? I can afford to rent somewhere but wondered if anyone had been in a similar position. I have been on the electoral roll for the whole period of living there.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Ben
Hi Ben
Are you living permanently in your Parents house ? And how old are you ?
I ask because if your parents home is your permanent place of residence and you are over 60 (I think it’s still over 60) Social Services cannot take the value of the home into account when calculating your parents available funds for residential care. The magic number is £23,250 in savings (each) - over that then they become self funding and would have to pay care home fees in full; under that then SS have to make a contribution until they’re down to about £14,000 when SS would be picking up the bill in full.
These two links are to Age UK publications which are very informative
It would be much better for all concerned if they had masses of help at home instead, it doesn’t have to be a choice between you doing everything or residential!
Do they have over £46,000 in savings? If so the need to start spending it. Do you have Power of Attorney? If not who is managing their money?
Are they both claiming Attendance Allowance?
Alternatively, could you reduce your hours?
As they both had dementia, they have both been exempt from Council Tax since the day of diagnosis, and this CAN be backdated and is easy to claim.
Your age is a very important factor, as Susie has explained. Under some circumstances they might both be entitled to FREE NHS Continuing Healthcare to fund either came at how or in residential care, but it’s a postcode lottery I’m afraid.
From the above web site
If you’re a home owner
If you own your home, the value of it might be counted as capital after 12 weeks if you move permanently into a care home.
However, your home won’t be counted as capital if certain people still live there.
They include:
your husband, wife, partner or civil partner
a close relative who is 60 or over, or incapacitated
a close relative under the age of 16 who you’re legally liable to support
your ex-husband, ex-wife, ex-civil partner or ex-partner if they are a lone parent
Your local authority or trust might choose not to count your home as capital in other circumstances, for example if your previous carer lives there and they give up their home to care for you.
If you move into a care home and decide to rent out your property its value is treated as capital but the rental income is ignored as income but could be paid to the local authority to reduce your debt if you are participating in a deferred payment agreement.
Ben you are doing far to much.
Are there any physical problems has there been an O/T assessment done.
As many health professional needs to see your parents. So that a fully picture can be draw and the help you are all entitle to can be put in place.
I am surprised you have got this far.