This additional payment is often referred to as a ‘top-up’ or ‘third party contribution’. The law says that you are not allowed to make this additional payment yourself, except in limited circumstances. Therefore, in the main, the additional payment has to be made by someone else, for example, a family member or charity. Before anyone agrees to make additional payments on your behalf, they should be aware that the amount could change, usually increase, once a year and they need to be confident that they can sustain the payments for as long as they are required. If the additional payments stop being paid for any reason, then you should seek help and advice via Nottinghamshire County Council. The person who will make the payment on your behalf must sign a contract with the local council before any contract with the home is signed. In doing so, the person must confirm that they
have the financial means to make the third party payments (including any future increases) for the whole time you will live at the care home. If they are unable to maintain the payments and there is nobody else able to meet this cost, you may have to move to a cheaper home within the local authority’s funding levels. If you are already a resident in a care home, and no third party agreement was required at the time you became a resident, the home may seek to introduce a third party payment at a later date, which would need to be agreed first with the local authority. Also, if a change to your arrangements is made at your request or with your agreement, for example you move to a nicer room, then an additional third party payment can become due. For more information on paying for care, go to www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk and search ‘Paying for care’, where you will find links to a series of online factsheets.
Important information Finding care in your area Looking for care in your area? Want to know the quality rating of providers you’re considering? Care Choices, publisher of this Directory, has a website providing comprehensive details of care providers, as well as essential information. You can search by postcode, county or region for care homes, care homes with nursing and home care providers that meet your needs across the country. Your search can be refined by the type of care you are looking for and the results can be emailed to you.
They can also be saved and emailed to others. The website includes detailed information for each care provider, including the address, phone number and the service’s latest CQC inspection report and rating (see page 55), indicating the quality of care provided. You can also view an electronic version of this Directory on the site and have it read to you by using the ‘Recite Me’ function. Visit www.carechoices.co.uk
How solicitors can help A solicitor can give you impartial advice about wills, gifts, estate planning and Powers of Attorney. Some can also offer guidance on immediate and long-term care plans, ensuring (if applicable) the NHS has made the correct contribution to your fees.
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Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) allow you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions about your personal welfare, including healthcare and consent to medical treatment, and/or your property and financial affairs. An LPA is only valid once registered with the Office of the Public
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