When Is A Care Home Right For You?

r most of us there are a handful of life changing decisions which we all have to

make at some stage or another; which career to embark upon, whether to marry a partner and whether to have children. As we get older, another major decision which will have to be made by millions of people is whether or not to relinquish ones own residence and move into a care home.

Of course, many people have this decision made for them. They may simply have deteriorated to the point at which they are no longer physically or mentally able to look after themselves. Happily, the majority of elderly people do not require permanent care in a care home and can be looked after in their own home with a combination of various kinds of assistance.

Those who elect to move into a care home may be anxious about leaving a familiar environment and taking a step into the unknown. However, there are obvious benefits like being able to concentrate fully on ones own wellbeing and social relationships without worrying about managing ones own health and physical needs.

The first step is to contact your local authority which is under various obligations under the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and obtain a needs assessment. This is advisable even if you intend paying all the costs of your care yourself since the assessment will professionally identify your needs and whether they might best be met by entering a care home and, if so, what particular type.

If your needs are deemed to be eligible, the local authority has a legal duty to meet them and this will involve a means test to ascertain whether you should make a contribution to your care and accommodation. Even if you are fully funding your care yourself, the local authority may have a legal duty to arrange suitable care if it is not otherwise available to you, for example if you do not have the capacity to make your own arrangements.

Many elderly people will need ongoing nursing attention and the National Health Service meets part or all of the cost of this depending on whether the primary reason for the person being in the home is health based or not.

Those who are presently in hospital will be assessed by both the NHS and Social Services to determine whether or not they need regular care when they are discharged. They have the right to refuse to be discharged to a care home but are not entitled to remain in hospital indefinitely so the health and social service agencies will carefully consider whether their needs can be met in an alternative way.

by: Brendan Wilde

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