Thinking about
This leaflet aims to help you consider
your options for future long term care
and support.
It will help you understand how a residential or
nursing placement could work for you and where
you can find further information and advice to
help you make these decisions.
What are the alternatives to residential support? Essex County Council (ECC) believes in supporting you to maintain your independence, and to remain in your own home wherever possible. This may be possible with alternative ways of meeting your needs, such as:
•
Assistive Technology, such as alarms and sensors to increase your safety•
A period of reablement, to help you develop or regain living skills)•
Support in your own home to enable you to live independently.More information on these types of support is available at
www.essex.gov.uk/Health-Social-Care, or by calling the Customer Service Centre on 0845 603 7630.
2 3
What if residential support is the best option?
Considering residential or nursing support can be difficult, and you may need some support. The Customer Service Centre has a specialist team of advisors, on hand to answer any queries, and can be contacted on 0845 603 7630. You can also get independent advice and support from independent voluntary organisations - refer to the section at the end of this leaflet for more details.
How is residential support paid for?
ECC will ask you to complete a financial assessment. The financial assessment will ask questions about the property you own, and your savings and income. This will tell us how much you are able to pay towards the cost of your support. If you choose not to complete the
assessment, ECC will treat you as having sufficient capital to pay for and arrange your own support privately. ECC will only pay towards the cost of residential support if it is considered to be the best way of meeting your needs.
What will you have to pay?
If you have less than £23,250 (correct at time of print) in money or property (referred to as capital), ECC will pay towards the cost of your support.
If you have more than £23,250 in money or property you will normally have to arrange and pay for the full cost of your support. However if you know your capital will drop below £23,250 in the next 3 months you should contact ECC Customer Services Centre on 0845 603 7630. ECC will not pay for any residential home fees prior to you letting us know that your capital will soon drop below £23,250. ECC recommends that people seek independent financial advice from specialists in advising on later life and residential support, and are accredited by the Society of Later Life Advisors (SOLLA) for help with planning for future care and support. Visit www.essex.gov.uk/fundingyourcare
to find out more, or call the Customer Service Centre on
0845 603 7630 who will be able to refer you. What about my property?
If you own property, but your income or savings are insufficient to pay the residential care home fees, we may offer you an ECC contract. This means that you would pay a contribution towards the fees, and the balance would be accrued against your property and secured by a legal charge until the debt is settled. For more information ask for our
Information Guide for Residential Support.
What choice will I have over where I live?
If you are eligible for ECC funding, we will help you to find a home which can meet your needs at a price acceptable to ECC. If you would like to choose a home with a higher rate, you can arrange for somebody else to ‘top-up’ your fees. Please ask for our Information Guide for Residential Support
for more information about a ‘third party top-up’.
If you are arranging and paying for your residential support, you are free to choose a home outside of Essex. However if at a later date you need help from the local authority, you will be asked to contact the local authority in the area you have chosen to live.
Regardless of whether you are paying the full cost of the residential placement, or ECC is paying towards it you will have the right to move.
If however ECC is paying towards the cost the new home will need to meet the following requirements:
•
be able to meet your assessed needs•
provide the required services at a price acceptable to ECC•
have available vacancies6 7
For more in depth information please ask for a copy of the
Information Guide for Residential Support from the Customer Services Centre on 0845 603 7630.
If you are arranging and paying for your support, there are a number of ways you can go about choosing where you might like to live. Essex Assist 0300 003 2112 has trained
advisors to provide information and guidance on a range of care homes.
You can also seek advice from a range of voluntary organisations including:
•
My Home Life Essex Community Association0845 017 7720
•
Age UKFree phone 0800 169 6565
•
Age UK Essex 01245 346106•
Citizens Advice Bureau.If you would like to know more about how a residential home is rated by the national independent regulator, visit the Care Quality Commission’s website www.cqc.org.uk
This information is issued by
Essex County Council, Adults, Health and Community Wellbeing. You can contact us in the following ways:
By post:
Adults, Health and Community Wellbeing, County Hall PO Box 297, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1QH
By telephone: 0845 603 7630 By email:
Visit our website:
www.essex.gov.uk
