Local Authority Residential Care

[Woodstock]

My mum has been in private residential care due to her Alzheimers disease for the best part of three years. I had to sell her property to fund this. Her money has all but gone and I've now had to get Social Services involved to fund her care. I can't offer any financial help to keep my mum in her current care home and the home are not prepared to accept the contribution offered by Social Services. This means my mum will have to move to a Council run care home and the only home I've been offered for her has quite a poor Care Quality Commission inspection report for the past 2 years. I'm not very happy about this and wonder what my options are??

[Buenchico]

Try searching for other care homes around the relevant area and then asking them if they accept residents funded solely by local authority payments. You might, for example, find a home which is just outside the border of the local authority that your mother currently resides in but which that local authority could still make payments to:
https://www.which.co.uk/later-life-care/care-services-directory?tab=county

Age UK's Advice Line might also be able to offer suggestions:
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/services/age-uk-advice-line/

[bednobs]

Realistically none. If she had a glimmer if being eligible for chc (NHS fundedcare)social services would have referred her. There is nothing stopping you making a referral for fnc (funded nursing care) if she is in a care home with nursing. This is a contribution by the nhs to her care but it's quite little. But you call it residential care which makes me think it might not be

[queen 1954]

I really do feel for you as the same thing happened to my mum a few years ago and they wanted her out once her savings had gone down and we couldn't afford to help out.Are there any other council ones in the area,normally the things they fail on are sorted out or should be.Adult services got my mum moved to a council run one within a week and to be honest it was nicer than the private one.Yes they did fail on the odd thing when inspected but my mum was there nearly 8 years and was well looked after.Sadly she passed away 10 days ago so still feeling devastated but she made it to 91 bless her.I would suggest you go and visit the home shes been offered if you are allowed to and discuss your worries with the staff there.Good luck.

[gness]

Woodstock, this may or may not be of help as our situation was a little different.
When my mother had to move from her care home to a nursing home, with Alzheimer's which is not considered an illness, I was offered two which were very unsatisfactory. I asked about one which I knew was very good but told it was full and the offers I was given were the only ones available.
I contacted the home I wanted and went to view after having been told there were indeed spaces.
I explained that my mother's money may run out during her stay and asked what would happen then. They assured me they would keep her on.
It really is worth researching homes and speaking directly to them. Some can be very caring and helpful.

[Smowball]

What a difficult situation :(

[ubasses]

Have you visited the place she is being offered and got a feel for it. When we were looking for a nursing home for my MIL I spoke to the Manager of my Mum's care home to see if she had a recommendation.
She told me, while not dismissing the CQC report, when they do an inspection they rarely leave her office going through admin and record keeping. Very little time is spent with residents or staff, so use your ears and eyes and gut instinct when choosing.

[roopower]

Queen, I'm so sorry for the loss of your mum, it's very sad at whatever age. My mum was 93 and I regarded myself as luck that I had her so long even though she wasn't with us in mind for the last year or so.

[roopower]

Woodstock, it sounds that you have been given some good advice. The manager at the home where my mum lived the last 13 years of her life was sure she would be eligible for the NHS top up but my sister endured several interviews answering a lot of questions about every aspect of her life and care and she was never given the money. We decided, taking into account the way the questions were slanted, that mum didn't qualify because she was no 'trouble' even though she needed a high level of care.

[queen 1954]

Thank you roo,my mum had no mental capacity during the years leading up to her passing,very sad.

[bednobs]

yes, for full CHC you ideally need to score highly on either behaviour (sexualised behaviour mainly) or breathing - things that a qualified nurse would have to attend to, rather than washing, dressing eating and so on which can be dealt with by carers. It is, however, unusual for people who need nursing home care not to be eligible for the FNC payment (which I believe is a little under £200 a week)