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

[PriorityOne]

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

Continuing health care is defined as:

‘Care provided over an extended period of time, to a person aged 18 or over to meet physical or mental health needs that have arisen as a result of disability, accident or illness.’

It's not as straightforward to answer as the above statement implies however. It has to be established that a person has a primary healthcare need and needs associated with that condition are then graded from severe downwards. Needs include cognition, behaviour, psych/emotional, nutrition, breathing and so on. I can't remember them all... but you get the idea.

I've only had a quick glance for the moment but the care home records for Mum did grade her needs under these type of headings, so I'm assuming this was part of an assessment taken from time to time. Although her primary care need was Alzheimer's.... some people with it still don't qualify which confuses the whole issue.

It's all a bit of a... No wonder people give up. It also looks as if you have to very specific when answering questions to make sure that certain criteria is covered or the claim might fail.

[Undercover Elsa]

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

I suppose that's where the solicitors' expertise will come in as when they're used to dealing with these cases they'll know what to pick out from the careplans to highlight.
Has it been confirmed that she actually had a proper continuing care assessment?

[PriorityOne]

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

I suppose that's where the solicitors' expertise will come in as when they're used to dealing with these cases they'll know what to pick out from the careplans to highlight.
Has it been confirmed that she actually had a proper continuing care assessment?

That's also my thinking... Due to the deadline, I can't afford to cock it up by focussing on the wrong thing(s) or, not focussing enough on the right thing(s) and, as it's going to form part of a legal claim eventually.... it needs to be spot on.

I'm not sure whether she had a proper continuing care assessment or not, to be honest. The paperwork from the home included references to the categories within a continuing care assessment but it may not have been proper bona fide assessment(s), as such. The solicitor seems hopeful (for now anyway) and has told me that because the paperwork is extensive, there's a lot of support in there for the claim.

It cost me around £7 (normal postage) to send it all off, so you can imagine what he's got to plough through. There was no need to send it recorded delivery, as I had copied the whole lot at work anyway.... just in case anyone was wondering.... ....

Once he's ploughed through the whole lot though and extracted what he needs, the claim will then be lodged with the Primary Care Trust.

[Undercover Elsa]

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

Fingers crossed for you P1!

More painful sorting through last couple of days, then I've spoken with my sister and told it's way too complex to DIY, so we've agreed to go to a solicitor. Sister will do the phoning stuff and I'll do the paperwork. We figure mum was paying approx £500 pm for 3 yrs.
She's spoken to sols who are sending a questionaire out. They said we've still got time. I gave her a list of questions one of which was how is the CFA paid...from the reclaimed fees or via costs awarded in court. It comes out of the reclaimed amount at 18% + VAT. They said it rarely gets to court, they usually settle.
Interest is payable in two tiers.

And so it begins...

[PriorityOne]

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

Fingers crossed for you P1!

More painful sorting through last couple of days, then I've spoken with my sister and told it's way too complex to DIY, so we've agreed to go to a solicitor. Sister will do the phoning stuff and I'll do the paperwork. We figure mum was paying approx £500 pm for 3 yrs.
She's spoken to sols who are sending a questionaire out. They said we've still got time. I gave her a list of questions one of which was how is the CFA paid...from the reclaimed fees or via costs awarded in court. It comes out of the reclaimed amount at 18% + VAT. They said it rarely gets to court, they usually settle.
Interest is payable in two tiers.

And so it begins...

Looks like we'll be holding hands in cyber-space with this one then Shep...erm...Elsa ...

The fact that interest is added to the re-claim balances things up a bit in terms of the fees they charge and, it takes the headache out of going it alone.

Keep us all posted.... and I will do the same.

[Undercover Elsa]

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

The drinks at the AAD staff party will be on us if we're successful, P1!

Have they given you any idea of timescale once the claim goes in?

[pompeyfaith]

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

Just to let you know 5corpio is also looking for advice on this subject and all I know is the deadline is fast approaching

allaboutFORUMS

[PriorityOne]

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

The drinks at the AAD staff party will be on us if we're successful, P1!

Have they given you any idea of timescale once the claim goes in?

Just to let you know 5corpio is also looking for advice on this subject and all I know is the deadline is fast approaching

allaboutFORUMS

They told me it could take anything from a year to sometimes two .... I suppose it all depends on how quickly records can be accessed and how obstructive the PCT is. I'm prepared for a long haul though and as long as the actual claim goes in to the PCT before the deadline, it's ok.

Scorps needs to join this thread so we can all hold hands in cyber-space... think we're gonna need it!

[5corpio]

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

Hi

Vint, posted me to this page.

Ref: 'Carehomeclaims' ? never knew that you can claim back carehome fees, as it should be paid by the NHS? If the person suffering from Dementia, Alzemiers etc

My parents look after grandma at home 7 days a week, they get a carer in for 6hrs for 1 day of that week, so that they can spend time together.

* They Pay for a Carer for those 6 hrs
* Grandma has Dementia
* My parents also tries to get a week or 2 weeks off in the year, so that they can have a holiday in the UK, so that they are NOT too far away - as they put Grandma in a Carehome

Can they claim this back from the time that they she had Dementia? 2004 ref: NHS to fund/pay for this sort of Care?

As its eating my fathers early retirement money for Care (where he can't work, due to ill health from mini strokes and having a heart attack many years ago)

Or is this for ONLY IF YOU HAVE PUT THEM IN CARE?

[Undercover Elsa]

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

Hi 5corps, afaik is NHS Continuing Healthcare can be provided either in the home or in a care home.
Have a look here:
http://www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/guide...nuingCare.aspx

I think the only downside of reclaiming home care fees through a solicitor may be that the amounts involved, while significant to the family, may not be sufficient for the sols to take it on cfa basis.
That said, if this is still ongoing with your grandma, it would be relatively easy for you to request a continuing care assessment yourself, reviewed retrospectively from when the condition commenced. The PCT would then have to refund as well as fund future care, if the assessment is successful.
Take a look at the pdf I uploaded earler..that's the initial assessment form that they use.

Elsa x

[PlanB]

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

I'm supporting you guys on this issue because my parents had to sell the family home to cover my Dad's care home costs, but it's too long ago to claim it back (1991). He needed round the clock nursing for the last few years of his life due to a neurological disease

Show me the petition and I'll sign it

Good luck with all of this - I'm right behind you

[5corpio]

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

thanks guys.......

i have spoken with my folks, But they have already been claiming for when the carers come to the house, as well as when they have been looking after her (as well as the son ((who passed away not so long ago 'who was Down Syndrom')).......But they'll loose it as from next year, when my father becomes offically 65 yrs (and it'll stop). Dont know if that is true or not with when you retire?

[PriorityOne]

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

thanks guys.......

i have spoken with my folks, But they have already been claiming for when the carers come to the house, as well as when they have been looking after her (as well as the son ((who passed away not so long ago 'who was Down Syndrom')).......But they'll loose it as from next year, when my father becomes offically 65 yrs (and it'll stop). Dont know if that is true or not with when you retire?

Do you know the name of what it is that will stop when he's 65? I'm not sure what it is they are claiming.... are you referring to Disability Living Allowance by any chance? If not, has he/they been claiming DLA (under 65) or considered claiming Attendance Allowance (over 65)?

[5corpio]

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

i would have to find out, i think at the time it was DLA for her son (which at the time paid for his Care). But as he now passed away, and mum now looking after grandma i not too sure what she was claiming for her, but that stopped when she became 60 (Not Grandma that is, thats mum)............my father then took it offer but will loose it next year when he hits 65 yrs of age......Not too sure again what they are getting/claiming...........But they get subsidy amount to pay for the carer when they came around 1 day a week........If they don't use it, it just rolls over or something.

They get paid in advance when i was speaking to them last night. they submit off bank statements of earnings/savings that they have and is calculated (i think) in what they get as a lump Sum for the year towards the care

[Undercover Elsa]

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

Hmm, I think it must be Carers Allowance your Mum, and now your Dad have been getting?

You can claim Carer’s Allowance (CA) if you're aged 16 or over. There is no upper age limit, but it’s not normally possible to get Carer’s Allowance and State Pension at the same time because they are overlapping benefits. For more information see the section on overlapping benefit rules below.
When you reach State Pension age you have the option of putting off taking your pension. This is known as deferring your pension. Deferring State Pension has advantages for some people, as it means they will get a higher pension or lump sum payment at a later date.
However, if you defer State Pension and claim Carer’s Allowance, you won’t build up any extra payment or lump sum. This means there is no advantage to deferring your State Pension if you’re getting Carer’s Allowance.

So for them to get that your Grandma must be receiving either DLA which started before she was 60, or Attendance Allowance.

The care she's getting for 6 hours, 1 day a week, is that Nursing care eg dressings/injections/catheter care or social care eg baths, housework, meals etc?

Elsa x