NHS funding for dementia can be provided when an individual’s need for care is primarily due to health reasons. When this is the case there is funding called Continuing Healthcare provided by the NHS.
Sadly it is not the case that someone with dementia is automatically entitled to funding to pay their care costs. Instead they are assessed to determine if their needs are complex, intense or predictable in their nature. If any of these criteria are present then the patient is deemed to have primarily health needs and they are entitled to Continuing Healthcare Funding.
Support for dementia
Continuing Healthcare Funding is provided to cover the full cost of a patient’s care and it is not means tested. This means that it is not relevant what money or assets the patient has. It is only relevant what their health issues are.
As a result, whilst it is not the case that there is automatically funding available for a patient with dementia, it can be the case that a patient with dementia will be eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding because of the impact dementia has on their health and the complex health issues that it causes.
The process for securing Continuing Healthcare Funding ought to be straightforward, but unfortunately often individuals who qualify for the funding are incorrectly denied it. This can be because the assessor carrying out the assessment incorrectly lowers needs or concludes incorrectly that the needs are not intense complex or unpredictable.
The result of being incorrectly refused Continuing Healthcare Funding can be financially catastrophic. The cost of care for a dementia patient with severe needs can exceed £2,000 a week so if it is the case they are incorrectly denied the funding, costs in excess of £100,000 a year can be incurred.
If you have a relative with dementia and you have any questions about how to get NHS funding for dementia, you should not hesitate to contact our team of experts today. We can provide free advice and answer any questions you have with our free no obligation and confidential assessment. Let us navigate you to NHS Continuing Healthcare. Complete our free assessment today and one of our expert Continuing Healthcare Funding advisors will contact you.
