Paying for Care

 Different care options come with different costs. The cost providing care and help may seem prohibitive, however there are ways of support to help and assist with payments such a Personal Independent Payments and Direct Payments. As well as the Local Council ‘Attendance Allowance’ which is available to assist with the extra cost of help - if you have an illness, disability which requires you to have help to look after yourself. The benefit is intended to provide support for those who live independently and who are over the age of 65 when they first claim. They must have satisfied the conditions for at least six months before they are entitled to payments.        Costs should not be considered an insurmountable barrier to finding the right solution. Your local council through Social Services can carry out a needs assessment to assess your eligibility for funding. You can find out more information here.

 These issues are not easy to deal with, nor do they make for easy discussions with loved ones. It is also a topic which too often gets delayed or put off. It is advisable to deal with the matter sooner rather than later as it is not good to make these decisions in crisis mode. It would be worth going through all the options with loved ones to ensure you find the right care solution that suites your circumstances – whether that be a Care or Nursing home, Domiciliary care, Live in care or Home Help. Each one will provide its own unique service and value to you and may change over time.