There are many myths surrounding the sourcing and costs of long-term care. Here, Ben Selby, owner of award winning and CQC Rated Outstanding home care provider, Right at Home South Cheshire, puts the record straight. 

Myth 1: It's free! 

Care isn't free and it's easy to confuse healthcare services (which are free of charge via the NHS) and social care services, eligibility for which is means-tested by your local authority. This means if you have income or wealth, you may be asked to contribute or pay in full for services. 

In England, if you have more than £23,250 in savings or assets (including your property if no-one else lives there), you will usually have to pay the full cost for social care fees. 

If you have less than £23,250, or your spouse or another dependent still lives in your home, you may qualify for council-funded social care. The rules setting out how these payments work are set nationally by the Government, and there is potential for this to change under a new Labour Government. 

Before any person is means-tested, they should first be considered for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding. It's only if they are not eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding that their money should even be discussed. However, this sometimes happens the wrong way round with people being asked about their money from the outset. 

Myth 2:

It's not worth applying for free NHS Continuing Healthcare funding because it only covers specialist needs and doesn't apply to people with dementia. 

This is false. So many people have been led to believe that it's not worth applying for NHS Continuing Healthcare funding.

For example, it is not unusual for funding to be denied on the basis that forms of dementia like Alzheimer's disease aren't considered a 'primary health need', which is not always the case.

This kind of free funding is about your day-to-day health and related care needs, whatever the underlying diagnosis. 

If funding has been denied and you disagree, you will need to present your case effectively and against the criteria within something called the Decision Support Tool (used to assess eligibility).

To lodge an appeal against an NHS decision to refuse you Continuing Healthcare, you would also be well-advised to quote relevant case history and case law where successful appeals have been made in the past. This is why professional advice is important. 

Myth 3:

If I run out of money because I have had to pay for my social care, the State will pick up the cost. 

False! The amount the local authority pays towards the cost of one's care is often lower than the actual cost of delivery and therefore a 'top-up' amount may be necessary to pay for the care of your choosing.

Right at Home is an award-winning care provider. (Photo: Right at Home)

If top-up money is not available and you run out of money, you will then have to rely fully on the State to pay for your care. At this point, you could find yourself with restricted and little choice of where you receive care from or in the future (i.e. receive care in an environment that the Local Authority chooses for you, at a level it deems to meet your needs that may not be what you feel you need or want). 

For details about joining the Right at Home South Cheshire team or for information about care services please call 01270 257347, visit our website here or pop into our Nantwich Office: Old Penny Bank, 39 Welsh Row, Nantwich CW5 5EW 

Right at Home is one of the world's most trusted homecare providers. Through their global network of over 700 locally owned and operated offices, they deliver person-centred support to tens of thousands of people every day, enabling them to continue living happily and independently in their own homes. 

Alsager Nub News is proud that Right at Home South Cheshire is a sponsor of our news service.  

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