Are they being told they will have to move to a cheaper care home, or are being threatened with eviction?
If your parent is a self-funder here’s what you need to know
We often hear heart-breaking stories where a loved one who has self-funded their care home fees is being threatened with eviction because – as a result of their longevity – the money has run out.
Given the significant and often eye-wateringly high cost of care home fees, it can often take just a few years for a loved one’s assets to drop beneath the £23,250 ceiling which qualifies someone as a self-funder.
Despite the care home’s reassuring words prior to entering the home that: “we would never ask mum/dad to leave”, the fact remains that care homes are businesses and many take a hard-nosed approach when dealing with a resident who is no longer able to fund their stay.
The care home may apologetically tell you that they have ‘no choice’ as they do not accept the (lower) rate a Local Authority will pay for care.
They may tell you that, unless you or another family member is able to pay the difference between the amount the Local Authority pays and the fee the care home charges – known as a third party top-up – the care home will have to serve notice to terminate the resident’s occupation.
We often receive calls from relatives who are understandably beside themselves with worry. They genuinely believe that at the end of the notice period their parent is going to either have their bed pushed out onto the street or be dropped off at the local bus stop with their bag.
We are able to reassure anyone who calls us that, despite what care homes say, the fact is this: when a person’s money runs out, a care home cannot do what they threaten because putting a vulnerable person out onto the street would clearly be a criminal offence.
There is a lot we can do to help in these circumstances. The reality is that the final decision does not rest with the care home, nor Social Services. Only the Courts have the power to settle a dispute, regarding what is in the Best Interests of someone who is under threat of eviction from their care home.
If you find yourself in this or a similar situation, you need to call Steene Law.
We have first-hand experience of all the ‘official lines’ you may be told by a care home or social services and we can advise you how best to protect a vulnerable elderly person from being evicted from their care home.
We can also check your relative’s eligibility for non-means tested Continuing Health Care which means that they do not have to fund any of their care.
Pick up the phone and call us on 0203 653 0623 for a free, initial telephone conversation.
We are available from 8am to 7pm, Monday to Friday and will explain your options including how you can fight threats of eviction from a care home.