NHS Continuing Care - Claims Management Companies

[RGG]

NHS Continuing Care

We are new to this -

Does anyone have any experience of any sort with these companies?

Looking through the companies that advertise online doesn't reveal success rates and we are unsure as to any real benefits to using such a company - or whether to simply apply ourselves.

Similar to applying for LPA or using a solicitor for example.
For LPA we successfully applied without using a professional but are unsure about an NHS Continuing Care application.

Anyone done this successfully or unsuccessfully as an individual or through a company?
Any advice, experience, suggestions or pointers grateful accepted.

[The Gauge]

Arranged it ourselves for our terminally ill mum. Expect resistance from the system and even denials that CHC even exists, and that was for an elderly lady who was dying.

There are two types of CHC assessment..

1) Decision making tool - pages of questions that make the assessment last a few hours.

2) Fastrack - one page of questions and all care & equipment needed is free of charge and is in place within 48hrs.

For someone who is end of life they qualify for fastracking but despite mum being terminal they did the lengthy assessment. Thankfully they authorised all her care to be paid for, despite her financial status meaning she could afford to pay.

It s a battle, and one I d expect a terminally ill person to not have to fight. How wrong I was.

Try and get the assessment done via the persons GP or social care if the GP is useless, like mums was.

Edited by The Gauge on Friday 5th December 18:50

[RGG]

The Gauge said:

Arranged it ourselves for our terminally ill mum. Expect resistance from the system and even denials that CHC even exists, and that was for an elderly lady who was dying.

There are two types of CHC assessment..

1) Decision making tool - pages of questions that make the assessment last a few hours.

2) Fastrack - one page of questions and all care & equipment needed is free of charge and is in place within 48hrs.

For someone who is end of life they qualify for fastracking but despite mum being terminal they did the lengthy assessment. Thankfully they authorised all her care to be paid for, despite her financial status meaning she could afford to pay.

It s a battle, and one I d expect a terminally ill person to not have to fight. How wrong I was.

Try and get the assessment done via the persons GP or social care if the GP is useless, like mums was.

Edited by The Gauge on Friday 5th December 18:50

Thanks very much for sharing your process experience, and also the sensitive family side of things.
I'm sorry for you all.
When you say "social care" was that the allocated social worker that worked with you in the whole sense of things?
We are not quite at that stage but it is imminent, I believe and I'm trying to get my "ducks in a row" to get the best possible outcome for the person.

Thank again

[Phooey]

Beacon get some fair reviews, they also *i think* are endorsed by Age UK. CHC is very very difficult to get, you need to have a very very strong reason for being awarded it.

[RGG]

Phooey said:

Beacon get some fair reviews, they also *i think* are endorsed by Age UK. CHC is very very difficult to get, you need to have a very very strong reason for being awarded it.

Thanks for this - I'll look into Beacon and Age UK

[Phooey]

I think Beacon will give you a free 90 mins of call-advice just quickly looking on their site

[RGG]

Phooey said:

I think Beacon will give you a free 90 mins of call-advice just quickly looking on their site

Thanks, Ive just been looking on their website - they're clearly associated with Age UK which is promising and present themselves as "non solicitors" I believe - presumably health care oriented people.

Thanks for this

[Phooey]

RGG said:

Thanks, Ive just been looking on their website - they're clearly associated with Age UK which is promising and present themselves as "non solicitors" I believe - presumably health care oriented people.

Thanks for this

My pleasure. I haven’t used them myself but did come across them via some forum so I would say do your own due diligence just in case. The reviews were mainly positive and seemed genuine. Hope all works out well

[RGG]

Phooey said:

RGG said:

Thanks, Ive just been looking on their website - they're clearly associated with Age UK which is promising and present themselves as "non solicitors" I believe - presumably health care oriented people.

Thanks for this

My pleasure. I haven t used them myself but did come across them via some forum so I would say do your own due diligence just in case. The reviews were mainly positive and seemed genuine. Hope all works out well

Appreciated

[LosingGrip]

RGG said:

NHS Continuing Care

We are new to this -

Does anyone have any experience of any sort with these companies?

Looking through the companies that advertise online doesn't reveal success rates and we are unsure as to any real benefits to using such a company - or whether to simply apply ourselves.

Similar to applying for LPA or using a solicitor for example.
For LPA we successfully applied without using a professional but are unsure about an NHS Continuing Care application.

Anyone done this successfully or unsuccessfully as an individual or through a company?
Any advice, experience, suggestions or pointers grateful accepted.

Ill message my mum in the morning. My brother gets CHC funding (although they are trying to stop it).

Her job until a couple of years ago was to assist families who CHC funding sort out care packages.

Feel free to PM me if I dont reply after the weekend. Im on lates and may forget!

[The Gauge]

RGG said:

When you say "social care" was that the allocated social worker that worked with you in the whole sense of things?

Yes, but we never met them.
Me, my brother and sister were all firing in requests to anyone we thought relevant- GP, social care, palliative nurse, district nurse supervisors, GP surgery practice manager etc. Then one day it just happened and I m not sure which route achieved this.

I assumed when you were really ill all the care would just happen and fall into place, it doesn t, you have to fight for it. I m not sure how families cope who aren t at least assertive in some way as it was a real battle.

Prior to CHC mum received 3 carer visits a day from the NHS Short Term Intervention Team (STIT) at breakfast, lunch and bedtime but we had to cover teatime visit. sTIT is free for 6 weeks and is then withdrawn and you have the option of the local authority sending private contracted carers (which we chose) at a cost to the patient, or arrange your own private carers.

If they know there is willing family around they will offer you the least help possible so act dumb and try and get as much free carer visits as possible, family can then visit as family members rather than stepping in as carers. Sadly mum kept telling the district nurse supervisors how wonderful her three children are and how great it is that we live nearby to help her, so they reduced the carer visits. Thanks mum!

Ensure there is a health LPA in place, you ll need it even for things like arranging and collecting medication, requesting NOMAD packs etc. without an LPA it could become really difficult

If having carers I suggest safeguarding any valuables as whilst the STIT carers were amazing and we usually had the same carers visit each time who we gradually got to know, the private carers were a mixed bag of different people visiting each time, we didn’t want to leave any temptation so mum gave us her bank cards and expensive jewellery etc. plus if an item gets lost you’ll always wonder if a carer has stolen it and become suspicious unnecessarily

Edited by The Gauge on Saturday 6th December 07:19

[TheHeadhunter]

We looked at this a couple of years ago. As said above, it's difficult, they will resist like crazy and find every reason to show you don't qualify. From memory, it is centred around the need for nursing care.

Our advice was to avoid companies as their success is low and costs high. We just read into it, and then got a friend who had been successful for both of his parents. It is just understanding the process.

I can dig out our notes, but others above seem to be more informed.

Good luck, it's disgusting that everything in this area is such a battle.

[RGG]

LosingGrip said:

RGG said:

NHS Continuing Care

We are new to this -

Does anyone have any experience of any sort with these companies?

Looking through the companies that advertise online doesn't reveal success rates and we are unsure as to any real benefits to using such a company - or whether to simply apply ourselves.

Similar to applying for LPA or using a solicitor for example.
For LPA we successfully applied without using a professional but are unsure about an NHS Continuing Care application.

Anyone done this successfully or unsuccessfully as an individual or through a company?
Any advice, experience, suggestions or pointers grateful accepted.

Ill message my mum in the morning. My brother gets CHC funding (although they are trying to stop it).

Her job until a couple of years ago was to assist families who CHC funding sort out care packages.

Feel free to PM me if I dont reply after the weekend. Im on lates and may forget!

Thanks very much for this - it's helpful just to hear it.
I'll try and find some time to message you.

[RGG]

The Gauge said:

RGG said:

When you say "social care" was that the allocated social worker that worked with you in the whole sense of things?

Yes, but we never met them.
Me, my brother and sister were all firing in requests to anyone we thought relevant- GP, social care, palliative nurse, district nurse supervisors, GP surgery practice manager etc. Then one day it just happened and I m not sure which route achieved this.

I assumed when you were really ill all the care would just happen and fall into place, it doesn t, you have to fight for it. I m not sure how families cope who aren t at least assertive in some way as it was a real battle.

Prior to CHC mum received 3 carer visits a day from the NHS Short Term Intervention Team (STIT) at breakfast, lunch and bedtime but we had to cover teatime visit. sTIT is free for 6 weeks and is then withdrawn and you have the option of the local authority sending private contracted carers (which we chose) at a cost to the patient, or arrange your own private carers.

If they know there is willing family around they will offer you the least help possible so act dumb and try and get as much free carer visits as possible, family can then visit as family members rather than stepping in as carers. Sadly mum kept telling the district nurse supervisors how wonderful her three children are and how great it is that we live nearby to help her, so they reduced the carer visits. Thanks mum!

Ensure there is a health LPA in place, you ll need it even for things like arranging and collecting medication, requesting NOMAD packs etc. without an LPA it could become really difficult

If having carers I suggest safeguarding any valuables as whilst the STIT carers were amazing and we usually had the same carers visit each time who we gradually got to know, the private carers were a mixed bag of different people visiting each time, we didn t want to leave any temptation so mum gave us her bank cards and expensive jewellery etc. plus if an item gets lost you ll always wonder if a carer has stolen it and become suspicious unnecessarily

Edited by The Gauge on Saturday 6th December 07:19

Thanks again, there's some really useful information here that you've took the time to present - thank you.

[RGG]

TheHeadhunter said:

We looked at this a couple of years ago. As said above, it's difficult, they will resist like crazy and find every reason to show you don't qualify. From memory, it is centred around the need for nursing care.

Our advice was to avoid companies as their success is low and costs high. We just read into it, and then got a friend who had been successful for both of his parents. It is just understanding the process.

I can dig out our notes, but others above seem to be more informed.

Good luck, it's disgusting that everything in this area is such a battle.

Thanks, your viewpoint and experience mirrors what going through my head already, before even applying.

[RGG]

OP asking a further question.

"At present, what they say at the early part of the discharge process, is 2X carers will visit 4X a day plus multiple nurses will provide nursing care.
Given that we are liable for full costs (I believe), it looks like the overall cost to us could well exceed the cost of nursing home costs?

The person doesn't want to go into care and we don't want this to happen either.

Does anyone know what the daily cost of 2X carers 4X a day might be?"