Care Home Charges

Published on Mon 21st Jan 2008

I have had several, angry, local residents coming to see me in recent weeks concerned about the costs of caring for elderly relatives in residential homes. They have found that it costs them over £800 a week: over £40,000 a year. Even if their parent is not well off and survives on a state pension, they, have to pay the full whack and have to sell of the parental home to do so. By contrast, some residents who do not have property to fall back on are fully paid for.

In principle, it must be right that individuals contribute to the cost of care to an extent which reflects ability to pay. But at present the arrangements are unclear and unfair. NHS medical costs are paid by the tax payer. Personal care is paid by individuals in England (but not in Scotland) which bears down hard on Alzheimers and Parkinson's victims who need personal care rather than medical care. Hotel costs, the costs of living in residential homes, is paid for by individuals if they are judged to be 'self funding i.e. they have a house.

Again, it seems right in principle that the personal wealth locked up in a house should be part of 'ability to pay'; but if a family has been clever enough to transfer the deeds a generation, they can avoid payment. There are also family carers threatened with homelessness because they have left ownership of the family home in the hands of their elderly parents. There also appears to be no distinction made between the very wealthy and owner occupiers of a modest home with minimum income.

With more and more people living to an advanced old age, and ending their days in a residential home, the costs of care are becoming an emotive issue. The current mish-mash of arrangements is unfair, unclear and unsatisfactory.