Hi There,
Ok - I can't work out the percentages... but have just received a letter to say that my Mother's Nursing Home fees have raised from £916 to £970 a week
Happy New Year .......someone somewhere must be celebrating but not us .....

Welcome Honeywood.

Yes it is disgraceful and I wont start the year with a rant.

A Happy new Year to you and yours.

regards Dee

I was talking about this yesterday with my Sis. Our Mums fees have also been increased - got the letter pre Xmas [ dated 22nd ] and it goes up on 1st Feb. Seriously though I wonder if there is a "watchdog" or Ombudsman that you can take your complaints to about ridiculous hikes in care home fees? I've tried my MP but they say the care home makes a contract and their terms and conditions are within that. BUT surely this would happen with all sorts of expenses - gas - electric - etc but they have some sort of OFTD watching them ?

It's daylight robbery as I dont know how on earth they can justify the amount they increase their fees by.

Bodecia I just found this

http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2005/157-05

Maybe the OFT is the appropriate body for people to make a super complaint?

regards Dee

Thanks Dee. I think I tried these people but were not much help. They seem to be more bothered about contracts/ terms and conditions etc than the actual £££'s fees increases.

Honeywood,

It's an increase of nearly 6 per cent!

And it's even more staggering, when you work out the £970 per week x 52 = £50,440 a year.

I know what I'd be tempted to do, bearing in mind you have a contract with the home: I'd ask for a full breakdown of all the costs involved in the running of the home, for the last financial year, plus a breakdown of the increases, and reasons why. IN FULL!! It might sharpen their thinking - I'd request it in writing, and wouldn't pay a bean more until I got a reply IN FULL!

Have a look at this load of figures: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/economy

I can't see anywhere anything resembling 6% inflation.

Or I might contact the Daily Mail and get an opinion.

VM

I wonder whether it's another case of self-funders subsidising the local authority? This link is mainly about:

"Baseline fee rates for the 200,000 council supported elderly people in
independent sector care homes across the UK have received an average
uplift of 2.6% for financial year 2009/10, according to Laing &
Buisson’s annual survey published in the June edition of Community Care
Market News1. This is a slight fall compared to the 3% increase seen in
last year’s round of uplifts."

I've no idea whether that June report would be different for this next year, but it's an interesting read.

http://www.healthcarepc.co.uk/news/news-archive/37/fee-rate-increase-for-elderly-care-home-clients.html

But could it be that the LAs are digging their heels in, paying small increases to the independendt fatcats, so the self-funders have to pay up?

How does it look to everyone else? Or am I reading it wrong?

VM

Another link of interest:

http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/ds/mis/180309as21a.pdf

and here's the 'attached schedule' referred to under Recommendation:

http://www2.westsussex.gov.uk/ds/mis/180309as21a.pdf

Again, it's for last year, rather than 'next' year, but even so!

VM

Yes VM it is FOR SURE a case of the self funders subsedising the shortfall for the Local Authority !!

BUT one day the " self funders " will be no more because [ hopefully ] everyone will have got wise to this scandal. Also the majority of the young ones now can no way afford to buy their own house - therefore there will be no property to sell , if they require nursing home care. What will the care home companies / Local Authorities do then ?????? Making hay while the sun shines springs to mind.

Further it is the Council Tax payer who pays their Local Authority . Ours is now £1500 per year. I wonder if some of that is going to fund care home places via the Local Authority ? When it should be the NHS who should be paying !!

Another point. The nursing contribution of £110 per week [ at least I think it's that now - our PCT no longer informs me of these changes as they have fell out with me ] is kept by the care home. The PCT are quite aware of this and seem to have no qualms of further lining the care home companies pockets. What hope do we have when this is their attitude??

Further it is the Council Tax payer who pays their Local Authority .
Ours is now £1500 per year. I wonder if some of that is going to fund
care home places via the Local Authority ? When it should be the NHS
who should be paying !!

Indeed and likewise forking out to subsidise those who get all the Council services for FREE and better housing too.

Work hard, save and be prudent - be ripped off by the State.

Here's another aspect of matters that gives more food for thought too.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/149405/NHS-steals-millions-from-our-hero-carers

So this begs the question how many millions if not billions is being stolen from those who should be getting free nursing care?

We all know about the huge black holes in NHS funding so it stands to reason that those who are lawfully entitled to free nursing care arent getting it and its being used to propr up a system deeply in debt.

Little wonder people are put through the mill and made to jump through hoops for many years to get free care which they are entitled to.

At least Dick Turpin had the courtesy to wear a mask.

regards Dee

Dee, does this surprise us. No not in the least. Thieving heartless scroats!

Hi There

Another update... my Mum's Nursing home fees will rise from £970.00 to £1016.08.... I am hoping that there is not a VAT increase on Nursing Home fees as well - it's not a luxury or is it ??

Can't be long until we throw ourselves at the mercy of the Social Services...

Happy New Year

honeywood wrote:Hi There

Another update... my Mum's Nursing home fees will rise from £970.00 to £1016.08.... I am hoping that there is not a VAT increase on Nursing Home fees as well - it's not a luxury or is it ??

Can't be long until we throw ourselves at the mercy of the Social Services...

Happy New Year

If, it were me i would stop paying patients with primary health needs should not have to fund health care yet alone pay increases,

Honeywood Do not forget This, When your relatives funds fall to the amount that they are allowed I,e. £23.500 (Correct that figure if I'm wrong)stop paying and ask them to reassess you should not have to exhuast all of your relative assett's

Mick

Mick they expect 6 months notice when the funds are likely to fall to £23,250, they then carry out a financial assessment and an assessment of needs to see if the home is still right for the persons needs. The person then has to pay a £1 for every £250 of savings between £14,250 and £23,250.

Hi,

Thanks I was wondering how much notice we needed to give the SS.

We are in "discussion" with the PCT at the moment for refusal of CHC... but that's another story..... and I guess it will be a long one...

We would like to put together a funeral plan for my mother from her existing funds - is this going to be allowed before we reach the thresh-hold on savings. Is this an acceptable expense ?

Also - are the SS likely to want to move her from her current Nursing Home when her funds are exhausted..

Regards

honeywood wrote:
We would like to put together a funeral plan for my mother from her existing funds - is this going to be allowed before we reach the thresh-hold on savings. Is this an acceptable expense ?

Also - are the SS likely to want to move her from her current Nursing Home when her funds are exhausted..

Yes, honeywood, a funeral plan is an acceptable expense. I'll try to find a suitably reliable reference for you another day. Unless someone else comes up with suitable reference in the meantime.

If the SS try to move her from her current Nursing Home when her funds are exhausted, that's not on!

Again, I'll find a suitable reference another day, but the SS would need strong grounds to move her.

The SS would need to demonstrate that the other home is not just chosen because it's 'cheaper'. And if she's lived where she's currently living comfortably and happily (yeah, I know, I know, I know - crap words to describe living in a care home with 'problems'), and if family involvement is able to support her, where she's living now, and if the current care home is able to meet her needs, the SS would need to come up with very very strong reasons for a move. And financing is not a good enough reason.

VM

... another year another set of fee increases

This year the weekly rate in my Mum's Nursing home will rise in February to £1076.00

Happy New Year !!!!

Nearly 11% - ****** disgraceful! May I ask, is it one of the larger operations or a privately run home?

... Spring, Summer, Autumn & Winter ???

.. and lest we should forget - they also get the Nursing Contribution of over £100+ a week on top...

I think I calculated that % increase using the price for the wrong year - nevertheless it is still nearly 6%!!!

That seems very, very expensive. Care for the elderly has turned into a cash cow and very unfairly those who have to fund their own care are subsidising the caps on fees that are being imposed by SS and the NHS.

Hope 2012 will also bring some positives.
H