PAYING FOR CARE

It is a fact of life that funding is at the centre of the care system in the UK and this issue above all others causes the greatest problems.

Many believe that the current means testing system, under which a financial assessment is undertaken to determine if an individual should pay for their own care is fundamentally unfair and penalises those who have been able to save, buy their own home and contribute towards a private pension.

Likewise, many feel that the system is also flawed on the basis that it discriminates against certain types of illness and disease. Severe heart conditions, cancer and many other medical conditions are treated primarily in hospital and as such are funded in full by the National Health Service. However problems such as dementia and strokes tend to be conditions which result in the individual being placed in a residential or nursing home where they are subject to the means test and if they have sufficient funds are required to pay for their own care.

Whatever the political arguments, thousands of individuals require care today and are subject to the rules as they currently stand. They can be complex and confusing and it is therefore vital that individuals are aware of their position, are able to maximise their entitlement to state assistance and if required to self fund, are aware of all the options available to them.

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