Financial advice

[Ken L]

My grandmother is currently in a nursing home as a result of the mental and physical effects of several small strokes.

My grandfather has recently been diagnised with terminal cancer.

He's not overly worried about the end of his days because as he puts it, he's 90 and has had a good innings.

What is causing him a great deal of stress and upset at the moment is the prospect of his home being sold by the local authority when he dies, to fund my grandmothers ongoing care.

He sees people who've never worked a day in their lives getting for free what his eastate will have to pay for and his anger and frustration is reducing the quality of what time he has left - even though he knows that none of his kids really need a share of whatever he has to leave.

 

I supose it would be possible to prevent the local authority from getting their hands on the cash by removing my grandmother from the nursing home and caring for her in a family environment until my grandfather goes and the will is administered as he would want. The problem is that doing this is probably not in my grandmothers best interests and may cause her more confusion.

 

Can anyone suggest any other options ?

[lopex]

In cases like this it will be well worth you paying the few hundred pounds max to seek advice from a local financial advisor. He (or she) would have dealt with cases like this thousands of times and will be able to show your parents the best way to keep hold of the money they have worked all their life for. Its well worth taking professional advise!!

Edited May 14, 2006 by lopex

[captain cojones]

i agree with lopex ken.

the cost of a decent financial advisor, would be peanuts compared to the possible gains.

best wishes dave.

[GlennB]

My grandmother is currently in a nursing home as a result of the mental and physical effects of several small strokes.

My grandfather has recently been diagnised with terminal cancer.

He's not overly worried about the end of his days because as he puts it, he's 90 and has had a good innings.

What is causing him a great deal of stress and upset at the moment is the prospect of his home being sold by the local authority when he dies, to fund my grandmothers ongoing care.

He sees people who've never worked a day in their lives getting for free what his eastate will have to pay for and his anger and frustration is reducing the quality of what time he has left - even though he knows that none of his kids really need a share of whatever he has to leave.

 

I supose it would be possible to prevent the local authority from getting their hands on the cash by removing my grandmother from the nursing home and caring for her in a family environment until my grandfather goes and the will is administered as he would want. The problem is that doing this is probably not in my grandmothers best interests and may cause her more confusion.

 

Can anyone suggest any other options ?

 

Ken - check out the "Coughlan judgement" - a report here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/288469.stm

which seems to relate to your Grandfolks' case. It seems local authorities have an obligation to provide care, or at leat take some of the financial burdern, where the care is based on specific medical issues. Some it seems are, er, "manipulating" patients and their families into selling homes to pay for care when it isn't necessarily right or proper.

This was the subject of (as I recall) a Panorama special a few months ago, and shocking viewing it was too.

I have no expertise in this field, just what I saw and have read about, so get some sound advice!

Good luck !

[Ken L]

Thanx for the replies so far. Can one of the mods please move this to NFC? I must have had a brain cramp when I posted.

Edited May 14, 2006 by Ken L

[Dick Dastardly]

Same happened with my Nan Ken.My Mum was pressured into selling my Nans place for a pittance.Its disgusting.Makes you wonder why we bother to try and pay our own way doesnt it?

 

Good luck.

[Sportsman]

Your grandmother would be liable to pay for social care, but if it can be shown that due to her medical condition she requires medical care it is down to the local authority. Get some good advice, possibly from a lawyer, as a lot of local authorities are trying to wriggle out of paying and illegally forcing old people to sell their homes.

The whole thing is disgusting, but it hinges on whether her medical condition is such that she requires nursing care as apposed to just help with washing, dressing etc.

[Ken L]

Thank you all and particularly Sportsman.

I'll definatly have to look into what you've said because it ties in with some things that occurred when my Grandmother was admitted to the nursing home.

The Social Worker (employed by the local authority) wanted her admitted into the residential part of the home on the understanding that nursing care would be available when needed.

The admissions nurse was insistant that my Grandmother needed 24 hour nursing care and should be admitted as a nursing patient rather than a residential patient and (fortunatly) stood firm despite several attempts by the social worker to try to get her to change her mind.

 

If the information that you've given is correct, it would certanly appear that the social worker was more interested in bolstering LA funds than in my grandmothers best interests.

[Ken L]

Sportsman. It's just struck me that you live in Scotland.

Does your advice relate to English law or Scottish ?

[Sportsman]

Sportsman. It's just struck me that you live in Scotland.

Does your advice relate to English law or Scottish ?

 

English, we don't have this problem in Scotland, care is paid for, as it should be.

Good luck with it

Edited May 15, 2006 by Sportsman