{"id":854,"date":"2022-10-24T15:47:47","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T15:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/?p=854"},"modified":"2023-07-12T08:40:08","modified_gmt":"2023-07-12T08:40:08","slug":"paying-for-care-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/paying-for-care-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Paying For Care At Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The idea that our elderly loved ones can live out their twilight years in the home that they love, while having all of their needs taken care of, is a wonderful one. Care at home means no need to worry about them being in an unfamiliar environment, or spending days or even longer without having someone to talk to. Their personal care is looked after, their meals taken care of&#8230;and all by professionals who will become friends, and who have a passion for caring for others as they would take care of their own loved ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>When it comes to looking after our loved ones as they age, I think most people would agree that some variation of at home care would be the preferred option.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>But what are your options when it comes to paying for these services?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Care In Kent have put together this handy guide that will tell you all that you need to know about paying for at-home care &#8211; from local authority support, to self-funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is At Home Care, And How Is It Paid For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><br>At home care is everything I\u2019ve already described and more. It is a way to support and help older people who may have difficulty with daily tasks (such as washing and dressing), to stay in their own homes and retain their independence for as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Care At Home, often known as domiciliary care, can be paid for in the following ways:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Local Authority Funding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>subject to a means test, the local council will fund either all or part of the care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Self-Funding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Either the person who needs care, or their family, pay for either all or part of the care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>NHS Funding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In some circumstances the NHS will cover all or part of the care costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let\u2019s take a more in-depth look at those options:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local Authority Funding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><br>In order to find out if you or your elderly loved one is eligible for support for care from the local authority, they will carry out a free needs assessment. If you\u2019re seen to have \u2018eligible needs\u2019 there will then be a financial assessment which will determine how much you need to contribute towards the cost of at home care.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>The financial assessment will take into account any savings or assets you have. If you have more than the threshold limit, you\u2019ll have to pay for your own care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>These limits as of 2021 and heading into 2022 are:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>England<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a323,250<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Wales<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a324,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Scotland and Northern Ireland<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There is no means testing for personal care in Scotland in Northern Ireland. Personal care at home is free for those who have been assessed as eligible by their local authority.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you qualify for funding for at home care, you\u2019ll most likely be offered a personal budget, allocated by the council towards your care needs. It\u2019s really important to find out which benefits you are entitled to, this will help you to make the best care arrangement choices for yourself or a loved one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Self-Funding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">There are several circumstances where you would be expected to fund your own care at home.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>If your care needs aren\u2019t found to be sufficient for local authority funding<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your income is high enough that you can cover your own care costs without taking you below the minimum income threshold<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your savings and assets are above the&nbsp; threshold for care funding &#8211; this DOESN\u2019T include the value of your home<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">NHS Funding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are circumstances where the NHS will pay for your care at home costs &#8211; for example if an older person has complicated care needs due to a disability, injury or illness. This isn\u2019t means tested, and is part of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.which.co.uk\/later-life-care\/financing-care\/nhs-funding-for-care\/nhs-continuing-healthcare-aupcg2x060rg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NHS Continuing Healthcare scheme<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If an elderly loved one has had a short stay in hospital they could be eligible for up to 6 weeks of free at home care.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.which.co.uk\/later-life-care\/financing-care\/nhs-funding-for-care\/nhs-intermediate-care-and-reablement-ac4tu9y5usq4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click the link<\/a>&nbsp;for NHS Intermediate Care to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br>Why You Should Still Get An Assessment, Even If You Don\u2019t Qualify For Financial Support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you know that combined savings, earnings and assets are going to mean that you or a loved one isn\u2019t going to be eligible for local authority funding, it\u2019s still very much worthwhile getting an assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>It will provide a formal recognition of your loved one\u2019s needs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u2019s important to have an assessment in case your needs change in the future<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019ll be able to more easily access information about the services available<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your local authority can still arrange care services for you &#8211; you\u2019ll just have to pay for the full price of the care yourself).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Self-Funding?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do have to pay for at home care yourself, there are some ways that you can raise funds to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Using savings and investments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using income from property, work, pensions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a proper&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.which.co.uk\/later-life-care\/financing-care\/benefits-and-pensions\/benefits-for-the-elderly-al6jl2j5xn2t\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">look into what benefits you\u2019re entitled to<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you own your own home you could release some equity and \u2018unlock\u2019 some of the cash from the value of your property<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selling your home and downsizing to smaller one could provide you with a lump sum to help pay for at home care<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Financial help from family or friends<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Raise extra money for your care by letting a room to a lodger<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-funding might not have to be a permanent solution. You\u2019ll qualify for local authority funding once your assets drop below the specified threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regardless of how you are able to pay for at home care, Care In Kent are always on hand to discuss a full range of services for caring for older adults, including respite care, help with personal care, running errands, or even just lending a friendly ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you think there is anything we can help you with then feel free to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.careinkent.co.uk\/contact-us\">contact us<\/a>, or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.careinkent.co.uk\/home--welcome-to-care-in-kent\">check out our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The idea that our elderly loved ones can live out their twilight years in the home that they love, while having all of their needs taken care of, is a wonderful one. Care at home means no need to worry about them being in an unfamiliar environment, or spending days or even longer without having&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,11],"tags":[],"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/paying-for-care-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Kim Stevens","author_link":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/author\/kim\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Home Care","slug":"home-care","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":78,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":78,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Home Care","category_nicename":"home-care","category_parent":0},{"term_id":11,"name":"Resources","slug":"resources","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":11,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":74,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":11,"category_count":74,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Resources","category_nicename":"resources","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":1,"label":"Home Care"},{"value":11,"label":"Resources"}]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=854"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2503,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/854\/revisions\/2503"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careinkent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}