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[Pennyfarthing]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5988769/Elderly-people-savings-pay-195-week-bills-met-taxpayer.html

Its in the news again but nobody ever does anything about the unfairness of self funders having to pay so much more than people who are funded by social services for exactly the same care.

My Mum has had to sell her house to fund her care and she is certainly not wealthy.  I remember her cleaning peoples houses all week and then at weekends she would clean holiday cottages which had to be ready just after lunch for the next people.  It was hard, hot work and she used to come home mid afternoon and just collapse with tiredness. This was the 60s and 70s and it involved scrubbing floors, sweeping up sand and leaves and you were lucky if there was a vacuum cleaner. She also used to bring all the bedding home to wash at ours.

Its just not right that self funders are paying so much MORE than what social services will pay.

[CLKD]

It's a Government initiative.  I haven't read the article yet PF but we were told by the Manager where Mum is that there is a short-fall for each social client and that the fees they charge self funders doesn't cover that balance.  Some homes do charge self funders 'enough' to cover the difference otherwise they may well go out of business. Which it is, after all.  The Manager told us that they try to charge per person it would otherwise by another £200.00 per week.  Currently Mum is paying £700.00 full board, assisted bathing, laundry, heating, lighting; days out she pays for every 6 months.

Why the Government of the Day can't have a Cross Party Group to sort this I can't fathom.  The Government of the Day will never encounter the problems that the Man in the Street will have.  So they don't need to know. 

[CLKD]

........   are demanded by care home operators from residents who pay privately because councils refuse to pay the full costs of looking after those whose bills are met by the taxpayer.

We need to get to the bottom of why Councils 'refuse' to pay the full costs?  Is it due to the fact that Councils can't afford it?  Certainly Northamptonshire County Council is  apparently, 'bankrupt'  .    I expect that AgeUK is on to this.  How do we find out?

Also: Nursing Care should be free.  NHS needs are 'free at the point of delivery'.  To everyone.  If one goes into an NHS Hospital, 1 doesn't pay extra for anything.  One does have Pension stopped after so many weeks which then is paid to the NHS to cover food/drink and laundry, working on the principal that 1 would be paying for that at home. 

It's a muddle!