Frequently Asked Questions.
Our team of knowledgeable Care Advisers has created a plethora of helpful articles and topics pertaining to all things social care in our help and advice section.
At Leeliam Care, we pride ourselves on the personal touch and recognize that not everyone requires the same level of assistance. That’s why we build our services around you. With everything from specialist care for those suffering from all kinds of health-related issues to companionship and concierge services. Our programmes of service are all affordable and flexible for everyone.
Will the cost of care require me to sell the family home?
If you’re looking into having home care visits, then the good news is that you will not need to sell your home to fund your care.
Your home is not considered within any financial assessments as it is entirely impractical to receive home care without a home!
It’s critical to comprehend your particular situation before deciding whether you will need to sell your house in order to pay for moving into a care facility or nursing home. Depending on whether you need residential or nursing care, there are a few conditions that might spare you from having to sell your house.
Residential Care Home
It is first important to say that if you have financial assets (money in the bank, investment income, savings etc.) other than your family home which can be used to fund your care, then you are of course at liberty to do so.
If your home is the permanent residence of any of the individuals stated below then you will not be required to sell your home:
- A spouse or civil partner.
- A lone parent who is the person’s who needs the cares estranged or divorced partner.
- A close relative of the person needing care who is aged 60 or over; is a child of the person and under 18 years old; is incapacitated.
The exception only holds true if any of the aforementioned people lived in the house continuously before the person in need of care did.
Aid! I haven’t sold my house yet, but I urgently require care…
As everyone knows, selling a house requires time, and the length of time it takes to sell a property depends on a variety of uncontrollable circumstances. You just don’t have time to wait for your house to sell before relocating into a residential care facility if you require care right away.
These kinds of situations call for your Local Authority to intervene and pay for your treatment for the first 12 weeks; this is referred to as the “12 week Property Disregard,” the specifics of which are provided below.
12 Week Property Disregard
Provided your savings and assets other than your house total less than *£23,250 your Local Authority may deem you eligible for the 12-week Property Disregard. This specific type of funding provides you with financial support for the first 12 weeks of moving into a care home, the aim is to prevent people from being forced to sell their home in a time of crisis and to instead focus on their care needs.
The local authority will only pay the difference between your assessable income (cash, savings, income investments etc.) and the local authority’s standard contribution towards the care cost.
For example, if your local authority’s standard contribution is £500 per week and you have an assessable income of £300 per week, they will be paying just £200 per week towards your care costs. This money (i.e. the £200 per week contribution x 12 weeks) does not have to be repaid to the local authority.
If after 12 weeks the property has still not been sold, the Local Authority should be able to lend them money for the cost of care, this is referred to as a Deferred Payment Agreement (DPA) but does come with interest charges and eligibility criteria.
*Please note that from October 2025, the funding thresholds will be changing so that anyone with assets below £20,000 will qualify for full council funding, anyone with assets between £20,000 – £100,000 will be eligible for part council funding and anyone with assets above £100,000 will not be eligible for funding until they have contributed £86,000 towards their care
Nursing Care
The criteria for whether you will be required to sell your own home to fund nursing care is exactly the same as residential care bar if you are eligible for fully funded nursing care.
For people who have ongoing nursing care needs, then they might be eligible for Continuing Healthcare (CHC). The funding is awarded by the NHS and allows people to have their primary care needs tended to outside of a hospital setting.
What distinguishes a nursing home from a care home?
This is, without a doubt, the most common question that the Care Advisers at Leeliam Care are asked.
People frequently assume they need a nursing home for Nan when they visit Leeliam Care. In response to this assertion, our advisors always ask, “Tell me a little bit more about your Nan?”
It is clear from looking into Nan’s care requirements in more detail that a residential care home would be a better fit for her needs than a nursing home.
How can they really be that different, and why does this matter?
The care demands that can be met in each location and the subsequent impact on care costs are the primary distinctions between a care home and a nursing home.
A care home and a nursing home might cost up to £500 less a week than one another.
Let’s go right to the point and explain what makes a residential care home different from a nursing home:
Residential Care Home: Trained Care Assistants provide care for residents twenty-four hours a day. Residents are typically elderly and require care due to age-related degenerative health issues, such as decreased mobility.
Nursing Home: Supported by Care Assistants, Registered Nurses give care to residents around-the-clock. Every resident needs some kind of nursing care; wound care and/or intravenous drug delivery are only a couple of the reasons why round-the-clock nursing care could be necessary.
Because the demands of the individual are typically larger in nursing homes than in residential care homes and therefore necessitate additional staff, facilities, and resources to fulfil complex care requirements, nursing home costs are typically higher than those of residential care homes.
Numerous healthcare providers are probably already involved in your care if you require nursing care. You can find out if you require care in a residential home or a nursing home by speaking with a social worker, registered nurse, or doctor.
Even if a person’s care demands are at the moment comparatively “low,” they may only be admitted to a nursing home if they have been awarded Funded Nursing Care (FNC). FNC is a payment provided by the NHS to a nursing home that employs a registered nurse to help with the nursing costs associated with a resident’s care needs. You may learn more about FNC by visiting this website.
Is a residential home or a nursing home necessary for my grandfather who has dementia?
This response goes beyond a basic “yes” or “no.” It all depends on how much extra care your grandfather requires.
Your grandfather’s care needs might be met in a residential care home if all he exhibits are indicators of bewilderment and forgetfulness. While many residential care homes do not assist those with dementia, others do. Before advancing with your inquiry, you simply need to make sure that the care homes on your short list assist individuals with dementia.
It’s important to keep in mind that confusion is not the only symptom of dementia; you should also think about the following two questions. The response you provide will determine whether your grandfather needs a care home or a nursing home.
1. Does he tend to stray?
No: Residential homes that assist those suffering from dementia.
Yes: a secure dementia unit in a residential home.
2. Has he ever behaved aggressively, either verbally or physically?
No: Residential homes that assist those suffering from dementia.
Yes: EMI dementia unit in a residential home or EMI dementia unit in a nursing home.
Elderly Mentally Infirm, or EMI, is a term typically used to characterise those experiencing advanced stages of dementia. Care providers receive training on how to assist clients with difficult behaviour.
Whether a person needs EMI care in a residential home or nursing home depends on their behaviour and care needs. Specialised Mental Health Nurses should be available in a nursing home to assist individuals with advanced dementia who are capable of giving themselves medication.
You would be best supported in an EMI Nursing Home if you have advanced dementia along with another medical condition that calls for nursing care. Becoming bedridden is one of the additional care demands that would necessitate nursing care; being bedridden puts you at danger of other health concerns and calls for nursing care.
Given her limited mobility, does my mother require a care facility or a nursing home?
This is entirely dependent upon how mobile your mother is.
Your mother’s care needs might be met in a residential care home if she is sluggish, needs help from someone, and walks with a stick or frame.
Your mother most certainly needs nursing care if she is entirely immobile, bedridden, or needs assistance getting from her bed to a chair. The more immobile she gets, the more likely it is that her care demands will shift towards nursing if they aren’t already.
Because of the increased level of care and support your mother needs, immobility is a nursing need. She also has a higher chance of getting pressure sores, which call for careful observation and care from a registered nurse.
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