Sometimes it just becomes unreasonable for some individuals to live by themselves without care and support. Whether this is on a permanent or a temporary basis, there will be costs, and it is important that all the parties who are involved are fully aware who is paying for what. While it's possible that the government might meet some of the costs, it is likely that the family or the individual will have to take some of the financial burden, at least initially.
If you have been assessed as needing this support and your capital is less than a certain amount then you might be entitled to some support towards the care home costs, either the maximum level or a partial contribution in order to ease the cost. Regardless of whether or not you're paying for the service in its entirety, you will still be entitled to choice in where you stay, and it can be anywhere within the UK provided that the care home costs don't exceed the usual fees, and that the home meets all the set terms and conditions, as well as provides the level of care which it has been stated that you need. Means testing is done on the basis of the partner who requires the care only, with any property which will still be occupied by a partner being disregarded, and 50% of any pension or saving schemes being used to calculate means. It's possible to separate finances completely before this occurs so you know that you're getting the support which you would be entitled to.
It's possible for your family or friends to top up the fees further to cover the care home costs of more expensive facilities.
If you're selling your home in order to self-fund for permanent care, the government will meet your costs for the initial 12 week period, providing the rest of your capital comes in under the threshold amount for support. This is to give you time to make a sale without having to worry about paying for the care. Alternatives are to let your residence out, although this is not a guaranteed or necessarily stable way of gaining income.
If you initial meet the care home costs yourself but later run out of money and your capital falls below the threshold, you can at that point apply for help and support in order to meet the necessary cost.
Joseph works at Compare All Care. In his free time he writes articles on the different aspects you need to consider when searching for the perfect home carer/care home, such as care home costs.
