Funding Home Care in Merton

Understanding how to fund home care in Merton fundamentally involves navigating three primary sources of funding - council funding, NHS continuing care, and private funding.

Home Care in Merton

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Council Funding

An Overview of Council Funding for Home Care in Merton

Council funding for home care is a support option provided by local authorities like the Merton council. The council may provide assistance to help you or a loved one cope with everyday tasks, thus enabling you to stay at home. This assistance is usually a part of a comprehensive care package. Visit the Merton council website to understand the process of financial assessment for care requirements.

Determining Your Eligibility for Council Funding

To determine if you are eligible for council funding for home care in Merton, there are generally two assessments you must undergo: a needs assessment and a financial assessment. The needs assessment looks at your care and support needs, while the financial assessment examines your financial situation.

Steps to Apply for Council Funding

To apply for council funding for home care in Merton:

1. Contact the Merton council to request an adult social care needs assessment.
2. If the assessment identifies that you need care services, you will then undergo a financial assessment.
3. The council will discuss the results with you, including any eligibility for council funding.

NHS Continuing Care

What Is NHS Continuing Care?

The National Health Service (NHS) provides a type of funding, often referred to as "continuing healthcare," that covers the complete cost of a person's care outside of a hospital or care home setting. Merton falls under the South West London Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) who manage NHS continuing healthcare. You can find more about continuing healthcare on the ICB website.

Determining Your Eligibility for NHS Continuing Care

To qualify for NHS continuing care, you must satisfy two key criteria. Firstly, you must have a "primary health need," which means that your primary need for support cannot be social or personal but must be health-related. Secondly, you must require more than the NHS or local authority can provide under their statutory obligations.

Steps to Apply for NHS Continuing Care

Applying for NHS continuing care involves:

1. A preliminary checklist tool used to screen potential candidates.
2. A full assessment carried out by a team of two or more healthcare professionals who look at 12 different care domains.
3. A recommendation made by the team, based on the full assessment, which is then passed to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) panel.
4. The CCG panel then decides whether or not you are entitled to NHS continuing care.

Private Funding

Understanding Private Funding for Home Care in Merton

Private funding offers another possibility. For individuals not eligible for council funding or NHS continuing care, self-funding care becomes an important option. In such cases, you'll have to cover the cost of home care in Merton out of pocket, though options like insurance coverage, loans, or equity release schemes can often help ease the financial burden.

Determining Your Eligibility for Private Funding

In most cases, the only eligibility requirement for private funding is your ability to pay for your care on your own. If you've been deemed ineligible for council funding or NHS continuing care, and you have sufficient finance or an insurance policy that covers home care, then you qualify for private funding.

Addressing the Cost of Privately-Funded Home Care

If you're considering privately funded home care, it's essential to understand the costs involved. PrimeCarers provides a guide to self-funding care where you can get an idea of the costs involved and how to manage them.

In conclusion, whether you opt for council funding, NHS continuing care, or private funding, remember that the objective is to acquire quality care that caters to your specific needs or those of your loved one. PrimeCarers is a source of assistance, providing access to home care in Merton, whether you require live-in care, hourly care, or respite care, along with help in understanding the intricacies of funding your home care.