Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

[PriorityOne]

I'm looking into this at the moment re. my mum who spent her final years in a care home with Altzheimer's. Although Mum passed away several years ago, people can still re-claim....

Around £500 a month from her own money from 2004 (the date from when you can do it apparently.....) until 2008 (when she passed away) amounts to quite a whack which I would prefer came back to the family rather than line the pockets of our Government.

Has anyone had any experience of this? I'm not completely sure my/Mum's situation fits the critera at the moment.... it may take a while to find out...

[di30]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

Hi hon

Sorry that your poor mum had this awful condition too, like my dad, it's torture isn't it?

And of course I am aware the fees of being in a nursing home were and still are very extortionate!

However, on assessment it came that dad did not have to pay, but it was very close.

I will try to do some research and digging on this for you.

[di30]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

Ok as promised, at first I came across this.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theonesho...m_back_ca.html

Previously, in England, each health authority used a different set of criteria to assess the funding a patient was eligible for.
Since October 2007 however, the rules for assessment changed and one system was implemented for the whole of England.
Wales follows similar rules to England, with Local Health Boards being required to follow Welsh Assembly Guidance from 2004.
Northern Ireland also follows rules that all care is paid for if the main need is a health need. A single assessment tool was launched in February and is currently being rolled out. But you cannot claim retrospectively here.
Scotland follows a completely different system, where all NHS care costs are always paid for. But individuals may have to pay for their room and board costs, on a means tested basis.
Who may be eligible for a refund?
Those with serious health needs who have been admitted to a nursing home in recent years could be eligible to claim their fees back.
How do I apply for a refund?
If you believe a relative was wrongly assessed, before October 2007 or since this date, then speak to your social worker, health practitioner or local Primary Care Trust for a continuing care review or ask for a retrospective assessment from when they first entered the nursing home.
If it's decided your relative was wrongly assessed, then you could get your money back.
You are able to claim back fees retrospectively for care even if the relative is no longer at the nursing home. How far back you can claim depends on where you live.

• In England you can claim back fees from April 2004 onwards.
• In Wales you can claim back fees from April 1996 onwards, but from 4th December 2009, you can only claim back fees from April 2003 onwards,
• In Northern Ireland, you are unable to claim back fees retrospectively.
• For info about the system in Scotland, see the link below.

Click on above link for more details.

And this

http://www.carehomeclaims.co.uk/

For a quick and easy assessment to see if you could claim back money entitled to you just fill out your details in the box to the right of the page, or alternatively click on the link below to download the claim questionnaire, just choose the correct form for a patient in current care or that has passed away -

Why choose us to help you claim back care / nursing home fees?

Making a claim against a care or nursing home can be a delicate issue and it is understandable that many people may feel uncomfortable making a claim against a home that has provided care for themselves or a relative, particularly if that person is still in care. The Carehome Claims Team have great experience in this area and we take great care to make sure the claims process is as smooth and hassle-free as possible for the claimant. Our dedicated team of experts can call on many years of experience when assessing your claim for the recompensing of nursing / care home fees, and as such can offer a swift response with regards to your eligibility to claim.

Our friendly advisors are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about making a claim and will do everything they can to keep you informed throughout every stage of the care / nursing home claim process.

Care / nursing home claims are by no means clear-cut, and no two cases are the same. Different authorities interpret the criteria for claims in different ways and all tend to err on the side of caution due to the seriousness of the financial implications for the NHS. That’s why it’s imperative that you should choose an experienced team like Carehome Claims to work on your behalf if you are to have a reasonable chance of success.


How do you find out if you are eligible to make a care / nursing home claim?

If you or a relative have been or still are paying nursing home / care home fees then you could be eligible to claim a large portion of those fees back. All you have to do is fill in the questionnaire online or contact a member of our Carehome Claims team to assist you. We will gladly answer any of your questions and should be able to let you know whether you qualify to claim back what may well be a substantial amount of money.

In England and Wales alone over 200,000 people are receiving long term care and many of those are funding that care themselves, paying on average around £20,000 a year. However, those whose main need is to receive nursing care are in fact eligible to have those costs paid for by the NHS. Not only that, they are also eligible to back their claim for previously paid nursing care fees. Ultimately, this could result in reclaiming many thousands of pounds.


How will you pay for your care / nursing home claim?

Care Home Claims operates on a strict no win, no fee basis. We always aim to give our clients total peace of mind, so you can rest assured that, if your care home claim is for some reason unsuccessful, you won’t be liable for any of the costs associated with it.

What happens after you make a care / nursing home claim?

As with any legal compensation claim, with many variables affecting the time it takes to settle the case, care or nursing home claims can be very difficult to put a precise timescale on. Typically we expect to settle a claim in no more than 2 years .


What is a care / nursing home?

A care home or nursing home is a residential home providing nursing and personal (social) care, in addition to living accommodation.

These homes offer a sanctuary to the elderly when they can no longer rely on themselves or their families to carry out day to day duties such as cooking, cleaning and getting dressed, or when a patient needs constant or regular medical and/or nursing assistance.

Nursing / care homes in the UK are both private and state owned and costs vary accordingly.


What is the difference between social care and nursing care?

In 1999 the British government stated in their NHS Plan that the NHS should be responsible for providing all nursing care without charge no matter where it was delivered. However, social care would continue to be means tested.

In 2001 Section 49 of the Health and Social Care Act stated that paying for nursing care in care homes was no longer the responsibility of local authority social services departments. Instead, the NHS became wholly responsible for providing nursing care.

It isn’t easy to define exactly what social and nursing care are as the lines between them are not clear cut as they do often cross-over into each other but, as a rule, social care is provided by trained care staff and covers day to day personal care and assistance. Nursing care is provided by qualified nursing staff that are on duty round the clock to attend to residents personal medical needs.


How much does a care / nursing home cost?

The cost of residential care in the UK varies greatly depending on where you live and the type of care you require, but on average the cost in England and Wales is around £20,000 per year.

Care homes and care homes with nursing are regulated by different organisations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is a right of a UK citizen to choose their care home but, in order to enter into care, you must first have your needs and financial condition assessed by your local council.

In England the cost of a care home is means tested. As of February 2008 in England, the lower income limit is £13,000. At this income level, all your income from pensions, savings, benefits and other sources, except a "personal expenses

[di30]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

And a suggestion here.

Do you have a good helpful MP? or maybe a helpful local councillor who can help by taking the burden from you in regards of the process of trying to claim the fees back.

Just a thought really, mum had a good councillor who helped all she could (this was to make sure things ran smoothly on assessment and before dad was moved into nursing home care) (EMI).

[5corpio]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

On UK Prime Minister Number 10 Gov Twitter Pages:

How can we create dementia friendly communities? | The Dementia Challenge

Also
Hash Key: #dementiachallenge

[PriorityOne]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

Thank you so much for posting Di.... yes, it was torture....

Mum deteriorated over a number of years and finally, had to be placed into a home because my step-dad was too ill himself to care for her (emphysema) and Mum couldn't live alone anyway.

I've been in touch with a no-win no-fee firm already and the paperwork should be coming through shortly. The solicitor I spoke to asked about a "grant of probate" on the 'phone or something like that, so I need to contact Mum's solicitor to find out about that at some point. I still have all the paperwork, so it shouldn't be a problem.

This is not something that was on my agenda, to be honest; I was just grateful that Mum was somewhere that could provide the care she needed. When she first went into the home, she was able to walk but this gradually went... along with everything else. For the last 2 years (at aleast), she was unable to do anything for herself at all and was on a turning chart every 4 hours.

There were times when it nearly killed me to see her this way.... and in a lot of ways it was a release when she died. It was no life.... just an existence. I'm sure you must know exactly where I'm coming from....

Mum was assessed in approx. 2003.... so I'm not sure what rules were in force at that time... If it turns out that nothing can be claimed, at least I'll know I've tried though.

Big hugs to you....

[di30]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

Thank you so much for posting Di.... yes, it was torture....

Mum deteriorated over a number of years and finally, had to be placed into a home because my step-dad was too ill himself to care for her (emphysema) and Mum couldn't live alone anyway.

I've been in touch with a no-win no-fee firm already and the paperwork should be coming through shortly. The solicitor I spoke to asked about a "grant of probate" on the 'phone or something like that, so I need to contact Mum's solicitor to find out about that at some point. I still have all the paperwork, so it shouldn't be a problem.

This is not something that was on my agenda, to be honest; I was just grateful that Mum was somewhere that could provide the care she needed. When she first went into the home, she was able to walk but this gradually went... along with everything else. For the last 2 years (at aleast), she was unable to do anything for herself at all and was on a turning chart every 4 hours.

There were times when it nearly killed me to see her this way.... and in a lot of ways it was a release when she died. It was no life.... just an existence. I'm sure you must know exactly where I'm coming from....

Mum was assessed in approx. 2003.... so I'm not sure what rules were in force at that time... If it turns out that nothing can be claimed, at least I'll know I've tried though.

Big hugs to you....

Hi honey
Aww I feel for you and your step dad too.

Yes I can relate to how you felt, torture all round, as well as watching your family going through this awful thing, we suffer almost just as much, it is very agonising.

It was the same for my mother, she is also disabled and could not cope, like yourself as a family pulled together to help all we could but with our own little families it was difficult to keep up with everthing.

Dad also had a number of other med conditions, including emphysema, prostate cancer, the list went on, but it was the pheumonia that finished him at 69 years old, he did also suffer encepahilitis early in his 60's, so went through a lot of trauma before the diagnosis I think mid 2000's.
It's like as you know losing them twice over isn't it? damn cruel disease!!

Blimey, your poor mum must have been young too honey, so so sorry.

I do hope something comes of this for you, I really do, the fees for care in nursing homes are overly costly indeed.

Not sure if there was something in one of the above posts I posted about before 2004, will have to re-read on it again.

Lots of love and hugs to you too sweetheart. Xx

[PriorityOne]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

**Update**

I have now received the claim pack from the no-win no-fee solicitor but decided to put it on ice until I could get hold of the Grant of Probate form (and other stuff) from Mum's solicitor. This is currently in progress and they need to get it from the archives apparently.... they will then ring me to go down and pick it up.

The no-win, no-fee solicitor will take a huge chunk of anything I get back which from time to time doesn't sit well with me but I really don't have the strength/time to juggle all this with work and battle something I know little about. I have also found out that refund claims need to be lodged before September (2012) and I can't afford to cock it up either. The bottom line with me is that it was never on my agenda in the first place, so anything that does come back will be a bonus.

I contacted Mum's solicitor about her paperwork at the end of May and it does seem to be dragging on a bit but they are on it 'coz I've checked. If I don't hear back by the end of the week though, then the refund paperwork will go off without the Grant of Probate form and I'll jut let them know that it will follow in due course.

[PriorityOne]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

I have just submitted a query to another firm of solicitors through one of the links that Di kindly provided .... and will update again in due course.

[di30]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

The best of luck honey xx

[SXGuy]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

well, i was looking in to this for my nan. I spoke to her social worker yesterday, and funny enough she said, she was part of the team that got the ball rolling in regards to claiming back fees.

She says that my nan is classed as mild, and as she can clothe, wash, feed and walk all unaided, she wouldnt be able to have full funding.

She said if she gets worse in the future then by all means apply for full funding but as it stands now, it wouldnt be granted.

[PriorityOne]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

well, i was looking in to this for my nan. I spoke to her social worker yesterday, and funny enough she said, she was part of the team that got the ball rolling in regards to claiming back fees.

She says that my nan is classed as mild, and as she can clothe, wash, feed and walk all unaided, she wouldnt be able to have full funding.

She said if she gets worse in the future then by all means apply for full funding but as it stands now, it wouldnt be granted.

Personally, I think you should get a second opinion from someone who does this for a living.... because a social worker won't necessarily know the ins and outs of the legalities re. claiming.

[SXGuy]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

cheers for the advice, perhaps ill look in to it abit more then!

[PriorityOne]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

**Update**

Still waiting for the Grant of Probate paperwork ..... but have sent the claim pack off now anyway because things need to get rolling. Need to chase the G of P up yet again though, it seems!

Found out my late mum's GP has since retired and the practice closed, so had to find out where everything went to .... then found out that deceased patient records are not kept there anyway..... so rang somewhere else, who were able to confirm that they had Mum's records in archivebut would need a formal letter.... blah, blah.... to release them. They also confirmed which Primary Care Trust had responsibility for her care.

Claim company have now written to the care home requesting records and giving them 21 days to furnish that information. In their experience, care homes are normally slow to do this and sometimes reluctant , so they have suggested that I should approach them as well in order to hurry the process along.

I have drafted up a letter (in the first instance) which I can either drop off by hand to the care home or alternatively, post off over the weekend.

[di30]

Re: Dementia.... re-claiming care home fees.

**Update**

Still waiting for the Grant of Probate paperwork ..... but have sent the claim pack off now anyway because things need to get rolling. Need to chase the G of P up yet again though, it seems!

Found out my late mum's GP has since retired and the practice closed, so had to find out where everything went to .... then found out that deceased patient records are not kept there anyway..... so rang somewhere else, who were able to confirm that they had Mum's records in archivebut would need a formal letter.... blah, blah.... to release them. They also confirmed which Primary Care Trust had responsibility for her care.

Claim company have now written to the care home requesting records and giving them 21 days to furnish that information. In their experience, care homes are normally slow to do this and sometimes reluctant , so they have suggested that I should approach them as well in order to hurry the process along.

I have drafted up a letter (in the first instance) which I can either drop off by hand to the care home or alternatively, post off over the weekend.

Thanks for the update hon.

Taking some time then?

Good luck and hope this moves on soon, as usual please keep us posted, cheers hon xx