Re: High Cost of Care Homes

This is why we have such a lump of a house, so mum and (step) dad could live with us but still maintain their independence as much as possible.

Its like a bungalow downstairs with three bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as the usual living room, kitchen, dining room. Mum has downstairs with dad when he was alive

We have upstairs, a living room, bathroom, 2 bedrooms

When we get older and find the stairs more difficult, we too will move down stairs

There will come a time when the house becomes too big but hopefully thats some way away yet

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

I agree with you Lion Queen but whenever I get into this discussion with people, many of them say “but if you’ve got the money you should pay for your care.” I have noticed that they are usually people whose parents get their care funded by social services.

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

It doesn't bare thinking about .
I have made no plans for our future I just hope we will be able to carry on for some years yet .
I would like to leave my children something not enrich some care home owner with the fruits off a life time of working .

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

My mother's care home was £1,200 a week, and cheap at the price. Looking after her was not easy, the staff did an excellent job. They didn't murder her as I would have done if I had been saddled with her care for more than 5 minutes.

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

It's interesting because if you look at their accounts most of them make a loss. It must be difficult maintaining cashflow given the bureaucracy.

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

Not sure about that seems a pretty thriving business the population are all living longer and quite a large percentage of that will need a care home .

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

The care home owner at the poor home Mum went to was a real miser. She drove a top of the range car, took several foreign holidays, wore designer clothes and bags.

Her residents got the cheapest orange squash (budget stuff), sunday tea was the cheapest thin white sliced bread with a wafer thin slice of cheese or ham and a tiny cake - the sort you get in tesco which cost about 99p for 12. She started giving me bills for toiletries for Mum like £15 for some steradent, shampoo and hand cream. I paid it once and told her in future I would do it myself and got them all in the Pound shop!

She was a horrible woman who was only in the care business for the money and she made it very obvious she would rather be elsewhere.

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

I worked in an accountants . A particular care home owner was a very wealthy gent and lived in a beautiful house overlooking the the sea , not a particulary nice person , I dealt with him many times he was rude and arrogant. He had his private home refurbished and furnished and put all his old bedding and furniture etc etc into one of his care homes and claimed it all onhis yearly accounts as furnishing and refurbishing one of the care homes claiming vat and tax back saying it was all for the care home . He also got away with it . The care home had all his sofas , beds curtains and his newly refurbished house was furnished with beautiful quality furniture . Never liked the bloke and his staff were delightful yet paid minimum wage and he was rude .

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

I well believe that! The woman who owned Mum’s previous home wouldnt even supply her cleaner with air freshener spray. I asked whether we could have her bathroom window sorted out so that we could let fresh air in and smells out. She said she wasnt paying for that. I asked for air spray and she wouldnt supply that either.

I used to see a supermarket delivering stuff each week and every single item was from the unbranded budget range.

Re: High Cost of Care Homes

A career as a Carer in Switzerland is a sort after, well paid respected position.
Carers are licensed and registered by the Cantons [Local Municipal areas.]
They would not dream of employing any foreigner who could not speak or write Swiss or Swiss German as all the training is written or verbal
Fees for Care Homes are met by Cantons and insurance
My Daughter living in Switzerland with husband and children is a registered Carer.
She is fluent in Swiss German and of course English and has Dual Nationality as well
She trained in a Care Home but chose to do Home visits. She now travelled up high Mountains to see her patients
None of the patients in the Care Homes had to sell their homes to meet the cost as the Swiss are heavily insured
She can stay two hours or more if necessary to each person
She does the following as well as an indebt report, daily to her superior of all her visits
Give medication and call the Doctor if any problems arise
Bathe, Wash Hair. Cut toe and fingernails.
Cook a light meal, Wash dishes, Hoover r, Iron clothes. Make and change beds.
Take patients for a walk do their shopping. Have a chat with them and cheer them up if they are feeling down.
Anything that is required. If a patient is very heavy and bedridden help is available for lifting
The training is ongoing an the last one was all about medication for the elderly and the contents of the medication. written and verbal
In contrast UK some Carers are so overworked they can only spare 15 minutes for each patient

This is disgraceful.

Home Nurses do a lot more.