Funding Your Care
Along with all the other issues that come with deciding that
you or someone close to you needs help, how you pay for care is right at the
top of the list of things that need to be addressed.
To help you we’ve put together this simple summary of places you can go for help and advice on what funding you might be entitled to.
Beechtree Totalcare specialise in care that supports our clients to stay independently in their own home. When it comes to paying for our services the simple options are to pay for care privately, to have care funded by the local authority, or, for certain long term conditions such as Alzheimers, to have funding for continuing care provided by the NHS.
While we are not experts on funding and cannot take up issues on behalf of individuals, we do have many years of experience working with Kent County Council and clients, so please do let us know if you have any queries or concerns about payment or funding. Remember also that rules and guidance are subject to change so please make sure you are using at the most up to date information sources.
Local Authority Funding
The Kent County Council (KCC) website is a good place to start to find out what help is available, or you can call them on 08458 247100. They provide a useful summary of ‘Services and Support’ that covers a wide range of circumstances. If you are keen to stay at home then you can find out more details on what services are available to help you achieve this.
To find out if you qualify for Local Authority funding for domiciliary care (personal care in your own home) you will need to go through the referral process and complete a Community Care Assessment. There is a brochure available on the domiciliary care webpage that gives a very good summary of what is involved and what your options are.
If funding is agreed you will be given a Personal Budget and you will have the choice to allow KCC to organise your care with a KCC approved supplier, or to take the funding as a Direct Payment. Direct Payments give you greater flexibility and control as you get to choose how you spend the money and who with.
Once again you can find full details on how budgets are assessed and the various schemes available for funding and for managing your budget on the KCC website, under 'Your Money'.
NHS Continuing Healthcare for Dementia
In certain circumstances the NHS will pay for the care of people with long-term healthcare needs. The rules are quite complicated and are subject to change, but there is a very comprehensive guide to NHS care available from the Alzheimer's Society which explains what NHS continuing healthcare is, how you might be able to get it, and what to do if your request for NHS continuing healthcare is turned down.
Privately Funded Care
If you don’t qualify for funding, or if you want to top-up your services, we are always happy to talk to you about the best care package for your needs. Please get in touch.