Long term care will rise a lot of question in your mind. This is normal because it is not cheap and you need to find a way to consider how will you fund your care in later time.
In the past, the State covered care for everyone, but this has changed because the population is aging and increased in longevity.
It is of first need to determine how much you can afford to pay of tour stay in a care home. Capital is the main factor in which is based when deciding if you will pay part or all the cost of your care
Everyone’s situation is so different that this is a very complex area It is important to obtain professional advice.
There are many ways to pay for care and it is common that full payment comes from different sources such as: Local social services department, the NHS and you.
The first step is to determine if you are eligible for financial help from the NHS or the local authority. Your eligibility can even change over time due to increased nursing care or a drop in your capital . Your capital will determine the number of authorities that will help you.
Long term care with the NHS help basic rules:
· Your local social services authority will pay for the full cost of your care if your income is £14,000 or less.
· Your local social services authority will pay some but not all of the costs if your income is between £14,000 and £23,000. For every £250 you have over £14,000 they will subtract £1. You will then have to make up that shortfall.
· If your income is over £23,000 then you will have to pay for all of your care home fees.
· If your capital is lower than the upper limit of £23,000 but your weekly income is more than the cost of your care home full fees plus your personal expenses (£21.15) added together then you will have to pay in full. This method is called ‘tariff income’.
The NHS will contribute with £101 if you are moving to a nursing home. The payment wont go to you.It will go to the home directly. This is called the Registered Nursing Care Contribution. Remember that this is just a contribution and your local authority will still have to meet the remainder of the full costs of your care.
Long term care will mostly require help from your local social services and you need to contact them in order to be assessed. The professional assessment will determine the kind of help you will receive according to the type of care you need and which care home if most suitable for those needs.