This is a bit of a random post for my blog but I felt it was too important to keep to myself….
➡️ Have you got a dementing one or did you have one until the past?⬅️
If so, I might have discovered something important. (Apologies if you already know about it – I literally just found this yesterday).
For the last 2 years I’ve been told by social service that when my mum needs care (she has FTD a rare kind of dementia), There would not be any financial assistance available to her because she owns her own house. The house would need to be sold to pay for her care costs, and only when her funds remaining had dropped below £24,000, she then could be eligible for financial assistance in paying for the care costs.
Whilst this is true of the help from social services, I’ve just discovered that there is funding available from the NHS. This works on the basis that her need for care isn’t based on old age, but is based on a health condition.
The fund available is called CHC, and it is not means tested. Which means that in making an application for this funding, any other savings, property or financial assistance that your loved one receives isn’t taken into consideration. It also isn’t limited to the care decision you make – meaning that you can still receive it even if you chose the best and most expensive care home available or if you offer care at their own home. You may get part or all of the costs covered.
What is considered is whether or not your loved one has a health condition which necessitates the care that they are receiving. Therefore if you have a relative who receives care, that you paid for, or that they paid for, due to them having dementia or Alzheimers – or any other health condition – then you could be eligible to claim back past payments or to receive financial assistance for any future ones.
I’m not sure if other people are familiar with this or not. I know that I wasn’t and only found out about it yesterday. My guess is, that lots of people miss out on this funding because as a society we have come to accept that dementia is part of old age. And that, if you have a loved one who develops it and has to get care, it’s just part of getting old. The truth is dementia isn’t part of getting old. Dementia is a disease and therefore it is a health condition which means that CHC funding should be available to them.
He is a link to the CHC application form and some more information about it.
https://www.continuing-healthcare.co.uk/do-i-have-to-pay-for-care-home-fees
I don’t yet know if my Mum’s application will be successful but it’s definitely worth a shot.