Care Home Fees
The NHS & nursing home fees
If you have a loved one who has had to move into a care home, you may have been shocked by the fees that have to be paid. Care home fees cost an average of £500 a week, with another £200 added on where 24-hour nursing care or medical assistance is required. Lifelong savings can be drained and in some cases people are forced to sell property that may have been in the family for years.
It may seem unfair that a person with health needs is forced to fork out for their care when it is an ongoing part of their life, since they would not have to do so was their care being undertaken in a hospital setting. Worse still is when it results in the loss of a family home, as it can be an upsetting situation to occur when the family is already under stress from a relative going into care. You could be forgiven for bemoaning the unfairness of the whole situation.
But... did you know that many residents of nursing homes should not be funding their own care? Anyone who needs nursing care primarily due to their health needs is supposed to have their fees paid in full under the NHS Continuing Care initiative. However, in practice, it has been found that many local health authorities assess medical requirements wrongly, forcing a large number of people to pay for care which should be free to them. The good news is that it is possible to contest such unreasonable decisions.
A frequent mistake made during these vital health assessments is a failure to take into account any mental conditions which may force an elderly individual to require 24 hour care. Often things such as Alzheimers are dismissed, even though they do count as a health condition and do entitle the sufferer to have their care home fees footed by the NHS. Could a loved one be paying out for care when they're entitled to it for free? It's more likely than you think.
Eligibility for Continuing Care
If your relative is in a care home due to ANY kind of health condition whether physical or mental – then the fact is that they should not be footing the bill, regardless of their financial situation. If they are being forced to pay, and you feel they should not be, then we can help you to secure a re-assessment by their local health authority to receive the financial assistance they deserve, along with a refund of the fees already paid. Last year we reclaimed tens of millions in fees for our clients.
So take a look through the wide range of information on our site and see if your loved one’s care home fees could be unfair. If they are, then you could be on your first step to a legal journey which might allow them to get their care paid for - and allow you to claim back the money they have spent.