Q
I would like to fund the costs of care myself, however, I believe it could
be expensive.
How much does it cost to stay in a nursing or residential home?
|
A.
The cost of care varies depending on where you live and what type of
home you need to move to.
An average annual cost could be in the region of £18,000 |
Q
How much does it cost to have care provided in your own home?
|
A.
Night Care £50.59 per night
Carer sleeps at your home to provide help with getting to bed for the
night, visits to the bathroom and getting up in the morning.
Day Care £73.45 per day
Carer stays during day to help with bathing, meals, exercise or with a
trip to town.
24 hour care £96.00 per 24 hours
Carer stays all day & sleeps over to provide complete personal
care and assistance.
Source: Boots Personal Homecare
|
Q
Why can I not rely on the State for help
|
A.
There is a growing realisation that the State cannot continue to
support all those needing care. There are less unpaid carers around, fewer
NHS geriatric beds and less finance available for the elderly from Local
Authorites.
We've all heard about the UK's ageing population but this has a real
impact on you. It puts a strain on Government funding to the point where
there will be little, if any, support available when you'll need it most.
In 1993 The Community Care Act changed the way long term care was funded.
The Act cut down on the amount the State pays for providing long term care
benefits. Local Authorites now use a means test to work out how much
benefit you are entitled to. The November 1995 budget set the following
threshold for State help for nursing or residential home care: |
Q
I have some savings in the bank. Will the Government take this away if I
need care? |
A.
If you currently have
£16,000 worth of assets you will not receive any assistance
from the State. |
Q
I could sell your
house to pay for care
|
A.
The means test applied by the State may put you in a very difficult
position. You may have to decide whether to sell your house to pay for
care fees. Your house may be your biggest asset which you may wish to
leave to others.
Most people do not want to have to sell their houses to fund care and
would rather remain at home.
|
Q
I could rely on my family to look after
me |
A.
Traditionally it would have been your family who would look after you
if you needed care.
The majority of this "informal" family care is provided by
woman. However, more and more woman are working these days, putting more
demands on their time.
Also, today's family increasingly live some distance from each other
and could not offer this support.
These family carers are usually not trained carers and the stress of
looking after an elderly relative may be an additional burden on them.
Research shows that people are reluctant to give up their
independence and dread the thought of becoming a burden on their children
or other relatives.
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