Residential and nursing home advisory service - F.A.Q
The questions shown below are samples of the type of questions commonly asked.
They are not intended to be the definitive answer to your question.
Always seek advice, preferably independent advice, to answer the questions that you have.
Qustions and Answers
Q. How can I get help to pay for my care in a residential home?
A. You are entitled to an assessment by the Social Services if you have a care need. They will be able to tell you whether or not residential care is suitable or whether they could put in a care package at home so that you will be able to remain where you are.
You will also have a financial assessment, (a means test) to see how much you should contribute from your income and capital.
If you have savings less that £19000 the local authority may be able to help pay for the care you need.
Factsheet 10
Q. Do I have to sell my house if I need permanent residential care?
A. The local authority must ignore the value of your home if your partner or spouse, a relative over 60, a relative under 60 but is incapacitated, or a child under 16 who you are liable to maintain, continues to live there.
The local authority can choose to ignore the value of your home if someone else lives there. This can be a relative under 60 if they have been caring for you for a substantial period, or a friend who is over 60.
If the local authority helps to pay for your care, and it chooses not to ignore the value of your home it can put a charge on the property so that it can reclaim the money owed to it when the property is sold.
Factsheet 10
Q. How do I find out which residential homes would be suitable for my mother?
A. All care homes have to be registered with the National Care Standards Commission. They should be able to let you have a list of homes in the area in which you are looking.
If your mother has had a social services assessment then the care assessment will indicate the type of care you need. There are specialist homes for older people with mental frailty, possibly dementia. Other homes are only registered for older people.
It is quite possible that you are the best person to look around the homes on the list to see in which you think your mother will be most comfortable. There are homes that are purpose built and those that are in converted houses. Nothing can replace the personal visit, and some homes will welcome your mother on a day's visit when she could stay for lunch and meet with the other residents.
Factsheet 29
Q. I want to give some money to my children before I go into residential care - Is that OK?
A.If the local authority is asked for help to pay for your care now or in the future, then they will ask questions about where your savings have gone.
If they assess you as having given away assets in order not to have to use them to pay for your care home fees, they may say that you deliberately deprived yourself of money that you could have used to help pay for your care.
This will mean that they could assess you as still having the money that you have given away.
There are no hard and fast rules about the circumstances when someone could be assessed as having deliberately deprived themselves of assets.
Government has issued guidelines, and court rulings are also used as
guidance.
Factsheet 40
Q. My mother is no longer able to collect her own pension. Can I do that for her?
A.She can nominate you to become her agent.
That means that you are entitled to collect the money but not to spend it. She can fill in the back of the pension order.
If the arrangement is required for a long time then an agency card can be obtained from the Benefits Agency. (leaflet GL21)
If she is mentally incapacitated and unable to manage her own affairs then you could become an appointee. You need to apply to the benefits agency.
Factsheet 22