More than 13,000 elderly people are expected to be effectively evicted as health authorities refuse to fund care in their own homes.
Charities expressed alarm, describing the new measures as “outrageous.”
“Not only does this go against Government policy of keeping people in their own homes, it ignores the fact that in certain areas there is already a grave shortage of care home beds.”
The investigation examined NHS policies on Continuing Healthcare – a fund which pays for care of those whose needs are primarily medical.
Around 19 of the 37 CCGs in question have banned paying for care at home if the cost exceeds that of residential homes by more than 10 per cent. Another seven said they had set the threshold at 20, 25 or 40 per cent above care home fees.
As the average age in the UK continues to rise, more reforms are being implemented to try and save the NHS money, which takes away a lot of choice for elderly and vulnerable people. Planning for the future has always been important but is more so now than ever, when the NHS and government are favouring care homes over care in your own home, because it costs them less to provide care in this way. Financial planning is only part of the preparation though.If a person lacks capacity to either put their case forward as to why they should remain in their own home, or to manage their finances in a way that means that they can supplement the cost of care in their own home, then this possibly leaves them more open to admission into a care home under the changing NHS policies. Creating Lasting Powers of Attorney for both Health and Finances means that somebody that you trust can fight your corner and make the financial decisions which could be the difference between living out your golden years in the comfort of your own home or in a care home.Make sure that when you are planning for the future you think about the practical aspects as well as just the money: who is going to be your voice if you need one?