07-01-2010, 05:59 PM
An article on our blog relating to NHS continuing care has prompted a large response and a huge number of questions, so we thought it would be a good idea to post the article here on the forum to provide a better medium for discussion. The are article was as follows:
Quote:"Continuing care is defined as, professional care given to meet the physical or mental health needs of adults with a disability, injury or illness over an extended period of time.
NHS continuing healthcare means a package of care that is arranged and funded by the NHS and is free of charge to the person receiving the care, be it in a care home or in their own home and is usually referred to as “fully funded NHS care”.
As one in three women in Britain, and one in five men, will eventually need long term care, the funding of such care is an issue that is likely to touch most people’s lives in one way or another. So over the last few years, the Government has attempted to make clear in law the type of healthcare needs that qualify for NHS continuing healthcare.
A national framework has been developed to provide guidance to the NHS about this and to try to ensure that consistent decisions are made across the country.
NHS continuing healthcare assessments
Primary care trusts (who manage local health services) are required to carry out an assessment for NHS continuing healthcare where health services might be needed for elderly home care.
The assessment should be carried out for Continuing Care when a patient is discharged from hospital before referring the person to social services for help with social care needs. Also, an assessment should be requested if the physical or mental health of the person you are looking after deteriorates significantly. Some people who need an urgent decision, such as those who are terminally ill, should be fast-tracked to receive NHS continuing healthcare immediately.
Where is NHS continuing healthcare offered?
NHS continuing healthcare can be provided by the NHS in any setting, which includes a care home, hospice, hospital or the home of the person being looked after. Where NHS continuing care is provided in the home of the person being looked after, it will cover personal care and healthcare costs.
Responsibilities of social services
If NHS continuing healthcare is provided for care in the home, then the local social services may still have responsibilities to provide some services in addition to the home care. It is possible to receive ‘mixed’ packages of care, where some services come from the NHS and some from social services. Where local social services provides the care services, it will usually do a financial assessment to decide whether the person you look after must make any financial contribution.
The NHS team will consider each of the healthcare needs of the person looking for continuing care funding, which are:
– behaviour,
– cognition (understanding),
– communication,
– psychological/emotional needs,
– mobility,
– nutrition (food and drink),
– continence,
– skin (including wounds and ulcers),
– breathing,
– symptom control through drug therapies and medication, and
– altered states of consciousness.
An example of the type of care that might warrant continuing care funding is “Fred has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. His Alzheimer’s has reached an advanced stage and because he lives at home he needs assistance with all of his personal care tasks. In particular Fred needs help with his washing and eating and he also has both bowel and urinary incontinence, and needs constant supervision to ensure his safety.”
The value of Continuing Care may exceed £1,000 per week, but You do not receive the cash directly yourself, but instead the NHS spends it on your behalf in accordance with the needs and aims stated within a Care Needs Assessment. The health authority (Primary Care Trusts in England, Health Boards in Scotland and Wales) are obliged to take the wishes of the client into account though. So if you want, for example, to have a live-in carer provide you with the care you need at home you should make this clear to the NHS, as early as possible during the care needs review."