Applying for NHS Continuing Healthcare
Mark’s story of helping his mother stay at home
Mark’s mother Jean, a former nursing sister, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2008. Six months later her world disintegrated with the death of her husband of 40 years, Ben. Jean’s family also started on a long and difficult path to support her to stay in her own home. Mark takes over the story in his own words.
“Mum’s dementia rapidly developed after Dad passed away. I had promised my father I would try to help mum stay in her own home, but I could see she needed help with, what to me was a severe health issue. So I recruited part-time carers, but then I discovered NHS Continuing Healthcare (NHSCHC).
I initially asked for my mother to be assessed, so the then Primary Care Trust (PCT) assessed my mother. I was informed that should she be awarded funding, I would lose control of arranging the care myself and the NHS would take over any plans for my mother. So she was unlikely to be able to stay in her own home.
What is NHS CHC?
NHS continuing healthcare is a package of care arranged and funded solely by the NHS. It is awarded depending on whether a person’s primary need is a health need. It can be provided in a range of settings, including residential or nursing care or someone’s own home.
The number of people receiving CHC in 2016 was just 59,000. This figure has doubled in the previous 10 years, but is still considered to be low considering the number of people who could possibly be eligible.
You can find out more by downloading a booklet from the Alzheimer’s Society that explains when the NHS pays for care and when someone may be eligible for CHC on this page.
A difficult journey
That set the tone for what has been a long, arduous, unprofessionally managed, overly bureaucratic, inhumane journey and terrible relationship with the PCT and subsequent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
It has been a ‘fight’. Not what we should expect from an NHS department, which seemed only concerned about not awarding funding, and had little interest in the health and well-being of someone suffering from a degenerative, awful, unpredictable illness, that is experienced differently by all its victims, but massively impacts all of them.
My mother was turned down three times during the assessments for NHS Continuing Healthcare.
By my third attempt in 2011, I also had an on-going complaint running against the handling of the process. I presented my case, there was a bit of ‘feedback’ from the experts, and later I was sent a report showing that the local NHSCHC team had acted properly. I was amazed. It seemed like a conspiracy, a closed shop, the NHS marking the NHS and finding the NHS not guilty. I was devastated, crestfallen, but also incensed, and determined to overturn this somehow.
At the end of 2012, we were advised we were eligible for funding. The CCG provided funding, but very little other support at all. Fortunately the health agencies, GPs and nurses were wonderful, supporting what we were trying to do.
Funding removed
In 2016, the CCG ran another eligibility test and despite mum’s obvious extensive health deterioration, funding was withdrawn. We had a magnificent team and set up that helped provide my mother with some kind of positive life despite everything – and the CCG had removed themselves from any responsibility. It was shocking. I couldn’t really believe it.
My mother’s health deteriorated further and she was hospitalised with pneumonia. The doctor said she was not strong enough to recover. I made the decision to transfer her home where she passed away on New Year’s Day, surrounded by love and some of her care team.
I will see this case through but I have been appalled by the way an NHS department have failed both my mother and the taxpayer. My mother died unfunded and uncared for by the CCG, with us fearing about the future when her own funds ran out.
Mum had been in the palliative cohort with her GP, since 2015. Her conditions were clearly impacting her far more than in 2012 when funding was awarded and to my mind it was totally unacceptable to remove the security of funding later on. Not everyone will be eligible, but once provided, the process of removal should arguably be even more thorough. This was not the case for our family.”
Part of your financial plan
We incorporate the costs of care into every client’s financial plan, to ensure they can afford to make choices about their care if and when the time arises. Being uncertain about affordability can be stressful and cause people quite significant financial difficulties, at what is already a difficult time for family members.
Too few people are aware of the availability of NHS Continuing Healthcare, so if you have questions about whether someone you know may be eligible, why not get in touch.