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The Cost of Living in A Care Home
How much is a care home?
The cost of a care home will vary depending on the area you live, the level of care you need, your financial situation, and the individual care home itself. Prices can vary a lot depending on what sort of care home you’re looking for. Care is not part of the NHS so is rarely free, unless you have specific health needs or very limited funds.
Residential homes with newer and more comprehensive facilities will typically have higher costs than more basic care homes. Nursing homes will typically have higher fees than non-specialist residential homes because nursing is a higher level of care and therefore costs more.
Who pays for residential and nursing home care?
Who pays for residential care will depend entirely upon the person needing the care – what level of care they require and their personal financial situation. In some cases the person needing care will be able to afford to pay for all of their care, in some cases they may need financial support.
Many people are eligible for financial help with care home fees from the local authority or the NHS. If your primary care requirement is a health need, then the NHS can cover the cost of your care. Find out more about NHS continuing healthcare.
Do I have to pay for my parents’ care home and are next of kin responsible for care home fees?
You don’t have to pay for your parents’ care if you don’t want to or are unable to. In some cases, people contribute towards the cost of their family members’ care in order to allow them to opt for a care home that they prefer if they cannot afford it themselves or the local authority funding does not quite meet the cost of their preferred home.
How much will a local authority pay for a care home?
The specific amount that your local council will contribute to your care fees will depend on where you live and an assessment of your needs and financial means of the person entering the care home. Only the person requiring care will be assessed and the local authority will consider their bank accounts, properties, pensions, and any other income. Any joint assets will be considered 50% yours and therefore half the value of these assets will be counted as your capital.
If your capital is more than £23,250 then you will most likely have to cover all of your care fees yourself. If it is less, then you may be entitled to help.
Your council will complete a care needs assessment and a means test to work out what level of care you require and calculate all the associated costs of your residential home stay. Using this they’ll work out how much you can afford to contribute based on your financial resources and, if you cannot afford to pay it all yourself, they can help pay your fees. After your contribution towards your care home fees, you must be left with at least £24.90 per week as a Personal Expenses Allowance (PEA).
Find out more about a needs assessment and how to request one.
It’s important to note that the local authority doesn’t have to help you meet the full cost of any care home that you choose. They just have to show that there is at least one suitable care home that meets all of your care needs within that budget.
You still have the right to live in the home of your choice and the local authority will try to arrange this as long as the home meets your needs. If you cannot afford the fees for your preferred care home with the funds calculated by the local authority, then you may have to ask a relative or loved one for financial help to meet the full fees – this is called a ‘top-up’ fee.
Do people with dementia need to pay care home fees?
Typically, people with dementia will still need to contribute towards the cost of their care fees. Just as above, the amount they have to contribute will be calculated based on an assessment of need and a financial means test. Dementia care home fees will typically be higher than average care fees because the level of support needed will be more substantial. Therefore, you may be entitled to more help from your local authority.
Furthermore, many people with dementia also develop associated healthcare needs which may make them entitled to NHS-funded care, as previously mentioned.
How much are our care home fees at Oakland Care?
All of our care homes accept both state-funded a self-funded residents and offer residential, dementia, nursing, and respite care. We believe everyone should be able to feel happy, comfortable, safe, and have their needs met so – regardless of whether you’re receiving support from the NHS, the local authority, your family, or funding your stay yourself – you’re more than welcome at Oakland Care.
Your fees will depend on what level of care you require – a detailed breakdown of fees for specific care levels at each of our care homes can be found on fact sheets via the links below:
You can find out more about the Care Plans we have available at Oakland Care if you need to figure out what level of care you or your loved ones require.
Please contact us for more information regarding fees for our brand new care homes in Kent– Maplewood Court in Maidstone, Birchwood Heights Care Home in Swanley, and Hyllden Heights Care Home in Tonbridge.
