How to cope financially at the end of life
There are lots of things to think about when planning end-of-life care; final wishes, support for your loved ones and funeral arrangements, amongst many other considerations. But managing your finances may be the biggest concern for both you and your family, particularly if you prefer to receive end-of-life care at home.
There is financial support is available to help with care costs, and at Helping Hands we regularly work with families and healthcare teams who require monetary support with end-of-life care.
Funding options for end-of-life care
For those that prefer to receive end-of-life care at home but are concerned about the strain this may have on their finances, Continued Healthcare (CHC) funding is designed to support those with complex health conditions on a short-term basis.
This package of continuing care is fully funded by the NHS and is assessed on your health needs. Assessments are completed by a local clinical commissioning group (CCG), who are advised on your primary care needs by your GP or nurse.
If your care needs (not your health condition) are considered to be a ‘primary health need’, you will then be awarded a full or partially funded package of care, which can then be assigned to a care provider of your choice, such as Helping Hands.
That way, both you and your family can rest assured that all of your care needs and preferences are adhered to without having to worry about the financial cost.
Arranging a funding assessment
If you need to arrange a CHC funding assessment for end-of-life care, you will need to apply via your doctors’ surgery or district nurse in the first instance. You can also contact your local CCG directly.
You will initially go through a screening process to check that you’re are eligible for CHC funding. This is usually carried out by your GP or district nurse who has been involved in your health care. Once accepted by your local CCG, you will undergo a full Continuing Healthcare assessment, whereby at least two healthcare professionals will assess your needs and requirements. They will look at:
- The type of care you require
- How complex your needs are
- How much risk is involved if you don’t receive the correct support
- Cognition
- Medication
- Mobility
- Breathing
- Nutrition
Once your needs have been graded from either ‘priority’ for the most urgent and severe cases all the way to ‘low’ for needs that don’t require extra funding, your case is then presented to your local CCG board for assessment. If funding is granted, you will then be awarded full or partial finance that can pay for the type of care you choose.
To arrange care with Helping Hands, you can get in touch with us before, during or after your CHC assessment. However, we will only be able to begin providing end-of-life care that isn’t funded by you once we have received official documentation from your CCG.
Contact a member of our team to find out more
There are varying costs for end-of-life care which is very much dependent upon your care needs and what you need support with. Some people will require overnight care to support you throughout the night while your loved one takes a rest from caring for you during the day, whereas others may need one or two live-in carers to provide round-the-clock support, which could include complex care.
Whatever your requirements, our friendly customer care team and local care managers have experience in liaising with CCG, ensuring that arranging end-of-life care is as smooth as possible.
If you’d like to discuss yours or a loved one’s end-of-life care requirements, call us today and we’ll be happy to discuss the different options available to you.
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Page reviewed by Carole Kerton-Church, Regional Clinical Lead on November 8, 2021