Legal Services – NHS Funding and Carer’s rights
NHS Funding
Since the 1990s elderly people have increasingly had to pay for care, whether in their own home or a care home. However, there are funds to assist in the payment of fees. For example, a person with 'high nursing needs' is entitled to support from the NHS even if not in hospital. The rules are complex and multi-layered.
For instance, three Government agencies are involved; the Department of Work and Pensions; the National Health Service and the local county council.
♦ Assessing continuing care, nursing care and social care requirements
♦ Appeals to Clinical Commissioning Groups for continuing care funding
♦ Appeals against decisions of a Clinical Commissioning Group for continuing care funding
♦ Applications for retrospective continuing care funding to reimburse care home fees paid in the past
♦ Conducting appeals in relation to continuing care funding claims
♦ Applying to strategic health authority review panels
Carer’s rights
Carers are usually unpaid and of any age but the standard 'perceived' carer is a single son or daughter in their late forties, or fifties, looking after elderly parents, or a person with a disabled partner - either through physical frailty or some form of dementia. It is appreciated that carers usually require a very understanding and patient approach, and so we endeavour to give more time and try to accommodate them, even though a carer may feel that they only have a short time because of the few hours' respite they have managed to obtain from their caring role. We will be willing to make home visits because it is understood that quite often the carer finds it difficult to get out.
Carers have statutory rights - which means laws have been passed to give them help - and those rights can provide both financial and practical help by state agencies but they are difficult to access - my firm has the information and can assist.