New Forest Living Mar - Apr 2020

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Happy & healthy in your autumn years Social care seems to be in the news a lot at the moment, often, unfortunately, in conjunction with the word ‘crisis’. Given that if you need care it’s a necessity, it makes sense to understand the basics – well before that time might come. Social care is there to support you because you need some extra help with daily living or are caring for someone who requires additional help themselves. There are a wide range of social care services, including care in your home or in a care home, live-in care services, day centres, home adaptions like handrails, and technology of various kinds. The first step if you or your loved one needs some extra help and support is to ask your local authority to carry out a needs assessment. You might have to wait several weeks at least for this, because councils are strapped for cash and staff, but it’s important to have it because it’s the gateway to the wider system. Someone from the council usually visits to establish the type of support you might need. There’s no charge and the assessor will create a care plan specific to your needs. When the type of care you need is decided and agreed the next stage is to establish how it will be paid for through a financial means test - which can be complex and quite confusing. Social care isn’t a free service provided by the NHS as many people think. Most of us have to pay for all or some of our care and the amount depends on the level of need and the value of any assets we have. Your home will not be included in the means test if you’re arranging care and support at home but other capital assets, including savings will be. Currently, if you have more capital that £23,250 you will have to pay all your care fees. If you have under £23,250, you’ll get financial assistance but may have to contribute from your income. 58 | www.newforestlivingmag.co.uk The cost of care varies by area but it is not unusual to have to pay about £20 an hour for a care worker to come to your home (domiciliary care) to help you with, say, getting up, washing and dressing, if that’s what you need. You can see how the bills add up if you need more than one visit every day. It is also possible that rather than ‘personal care’ you need a different kind of support, such as companionship, because you are very alone and lonely. If so, in some places the council may refer you to a scheme run by a charity like Age UK, where you might have to pay a modest amount to take part. If your needs are such that it is best for you to move permanently into a care home your property, if you own one, will be included in the means test at its present market value, but less any mortgage or loan you may have on it. However, it will not be included if your partner still lives there or, in certain circumstances, a relative. Your home is also not included if you need a temporary or short-term stay in a care home. Two in five of all the older people living in care homes now pay for their own care. To avoid property or other assets being counted in the financial means test, some people consider giving them away to a child or grandchild. However, this could be interpreted as ‘deliberate deprivation of assets’, and your local authority may still ask you to pay the same level of care fees as if you still owned your home or the other assets you have given away. It is really important to take advice if you are thinking of doing something of this kind. If you do have to pay towards a care home place it is possible to avoid selling your property during your lifetime in order to release the money required, namely a deferred payment which endures while you are alive. The council provides a loan for your care costs secured against your property and this is repaid either when the property is sold or from your estate after you have passed away. There is an interest charge if you choose to do this but every council is supposed to offer a scheme of this kind, even though relatively few people take advantage of it, possibly because they do not know it exists. If you have care needs and you are not already claiming a benefit called Attendance Allowance it is always worth doing so. This benefit is there for older people, to help offset the costs of disability. In practice, many older people use their AA to help fund their social care. Your local Age UK can help you fill in the forms and will be pleased to help. AA is paid at two rates, £58 or £87 a week, depending on your needs. As you can see, finding social care and paying for it is not straight forward and there are lots of questions to ask, but Age UK can guide you through the process and provides independent information and advice. If you are online there’s a lot about care on our website, or there’s a free advice line if you prefer to talk to someone instead. Visiting your local Age UK is a third option. Social care has a bad reputation at the moment, largely because it is underfunded and there isn’t enough to go round. You may also have read horror stories in the press of care workers being neglectful. Please don’t be put off seeking care though - there are many wonderful care workers. It pays to get advice and go into it with your eyes open, but there are hundreds of thousands of older people whose lives are immeasurably better because of the good care they receive. Caroline Abrahams Charity Director, Age UK www.ageuk.org.uk/ information-advice/care
ABLCARE HEALTH CARE Providing Care for Life’s Journey Whether it’s supporting someone in their own home, to access the community or in a registered care home, we provide exceptional person-centred care and support. • Learning disabilities • Autism • Prader-Willi syndrome • Physical disabilities • Complex care needs • Mental health conditions • People in transition • Challenging behaviour www.ablcare.com | info@ablcare.com | 07476 000457 Bluebird Care Care Home and and Live-in Care Services Find out more today! Care in in the the comfort of of your own home We We offer offer different care care services such as as Respite Care, End of of life Care, Dementia Care. Care. From From 30 30 minutes home care care support to to 24 24 hour Live-in Care provisions. Bluebird Care Care New New Forest 01590 01590 678 678 340 340 newforest@bluebirdcare.co.uk Bluebird Care Totton 02382 026 500 totton@bluebirdcare.co.uk www.newforestlivingmag.co.uk | 59
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New Forest Living Mar - Apr 2020

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