We join with the Alzheimer’s Society in calling on the Government to end unfair care fees NOW
Anyone who reads our regular blogs, knows we are passionate about opposing social care injustice and fighting unfair care fees.
Steene Law is a law firm unlike most. We devote our time to helping people who find themselves in the most desperate of situations because a relative has been diagnosed with dementia.
Watching your loved one slowly deteriorate in front of you, to a point where they no longer recognise you, is bad enough.
Trying to cope with their increasingly erratic and upsetting behaviour – including dealing with their verbal and even physical outbursts – is heart-breaking.
But trying to deal with an unfair, unjust social care system which refuses to treat dementia like any other serious medical condition – leaving you to pick up the bill – is arguably the worst aspect of it all.
Your loved one has worked hard and paid taxes all their life. And yet, in their hour of need, when they are vulnerable, they are being let down by inadequate social care. In our view, it’s nothing short of a national disgrace!
Successive Governments have failed to address the problem which has created an unfair playing field. If your loved one is diagnosed with a serious heart problem or cancer, the cost of all their care is picked up by the NHS. But a person who is diagnosed with dementia is not treated the same.
If they have more than £23,250 in savings, they are classed as a self-funder and their hard-earned money will be swallowed up in care fees. If they need to go into residential care, they will also have to sell their home to pay for the cost of their care.
Why, in 2020, is our care system treating people with dementia as second class citizens?
Surely, now is the time for change. We cannot allow people with dementia and their families to continue to struggle.
This week, the Alzheimer’s Society has released an animated film, voiced by the actress, Lesley Manville.
It depicts the real experiences of a family, as they deal with the inequity of our country’s care system.
Isabel and John’s story:
The Alzheimer’s Society’s short animated film tells the story of Isabel and her husband, John, who has dementia.
Isabel does her best for John but, as his condition deteriorates and his needs become more challenging, it becomes too much for her to manage alone, so she is forced to find a care home for him.
The emotional and financial impact is devastating. Isabel not only feels like she’s lost her companion, but is also footing a bill of £1,000 a week for the care home.
As Isabel explains in the film, “dementia isn’t like other diseases”, when she is left to cover crippling costs of care for John.
You can view the film here.
As the Alzheimer’s Society says, the social care crisis is a dementia crisis.
Whilst we wait for the Government to act, the crisis continues. But you don’t have to take the current situation lying down. There IS something you can do.
If you are fighting unfair care fees, pick up the phone and call us on 0203 653 0623 for a free, initial telephone conversation.
We can investigate to see if you should be receiving more money from the local authority to fund your relative’s care.
We can also help with advice on reducing top-up fees, obtain FREE NHS-funded Continuing Health Care (CHC) and look at ways to ring-fence your relative’s home so that it is not swallowed up in care home fees.
In fact, we have a whole arsenal of tools to reduce and even eliminate care fees. So, while you are waiting for the Government to act, take action yourself now and call us for help. We are available from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday.