It’s only natural that you have questions

All Somerset Care nursing homes provide palliative care for those nearing the end of their life.

We believe in working alongside the individual and their loved ones to offer high-quality, reliable, consistent, and compassionate end-of-life care. This approach has been recognised by the Gold Standards Framework, which has awarded a Platinum status to a number of our nursing homes for the care and support they provide when it is most needed.

NHS Funded Nursing Care is paid at one consistent rate across England, regardless of the individual’s geographical location or specific nursing care needs. This amount is set by the NHS and subject to change, but currently stands at £209.19 per week. This funding is paid directly to the nursing care home, and deducted from your total nursing care fees.

Please check the NHS website for the current FNC rate.

An assessment is used to determine who is eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care. This is usually carried out by a registered nurse and carried out by the relevant Local Authority or NHS Integrated Care Board (the new name for a Clinical Commissioning Group).

In general terms, nursing home residents who have been assessed as needing support from a registered nurse, but who do not qualify for the CHC (Continuing Healthcare) scheme, may be eligible for NHS Funded Nursing Care.

Often referred to by the abbreviation FNC, Funded Nursing Care is funding provided by the NHS towards the cost of nursing care provided within nursing homes, by registered nurses, for eligible individuals.

In certain circumstances, and regardless of your financial circumstances, the NHS will cover the full cost of care for those assessed as having a ‘primary health need’, through the NHS Continuing Healthcare scheme.

To determine if you qualify for Continuing Healthcare, an initial checklist will be completed by a registered nursing or Local Authority social worker, to capture the level and type of support you need on a day-to-day basis. If your combined health needs meet this first stage of eligibility, a further full assessment will then be carried out to confirm if you qualify for a fully-funded CHC care and support package.

If you do not qualify for fully-funded nursing care under the NHS Continuing Healthcare scheme, you may still qualify for a Funded Nursing Care contribution towards the cost of your nursing care.

To find out if you qualify for financial support from your Local Authority, your local adult social care team will complete a financial assessment to consider the value of your income and assets. This figure takes into account any income, savings and property you hold solely in your own name, as well as an equally divided share of any assets you may hold jointly.

The value of your assets will place you into one of three bands, and determine the level of financial support you can expect from your Local Authority:

• If your assets exceed the ‘upper capital limit’ set by the government (currently £23,250), you will be deemed a ‘self-funder’ and required to meet the full cost of your care.
• If your capital is between £14,250 and the upper capital limit of £23,250, then you will be expected to contribute a certain amount towards the cost of your care, with the remainder covered by your Local Authority.
• If your assets are less than £14,250, you may still be required to contribute towards the cost of your care, but the majority of your care fees will be covered by your Local Authority.

Please visit the government website to check the current upper capital limit amount.

If you qualify for relevant funding schemes, your nursing care may be free or partially paid for by your Local Authority or the NHS.

Not everyone will be eligible for financial support, and you may be required to meet the full cost of your nursing care. Decisions about who qualifies for financial support with their nursing care are made on a case-by-case basis by the relevant authority.

The cost of nursing home care will vary according to the level and type of nursing care an individual needs to meet any complex or long-term medical conditions in which they live with.

Nursing home costs will generally be calculated by combining a fixed accommodation fee, with the cost of providing your bespoke nursing care. Your individual financial circumstances and nursing care needs will determine who pays for your nursing care.

The cost of short-term respite care in a nursing home is calculated in the same way as longer-term residential nursing care. Your total nursing care fees will combine the nursing home’s fixed accommodation cost with the cost of meeting your individual nursing care needs.

Your individual financial circumstances, along with the level and type of nursing care you need, will be used to determine who pays for your care. Please contact your Local Authority adult social care team to discuss your eligibility for funding towards the cost of your care.

Nursing care is essentially a higher level of residential care, where the individual needs more support. This is not necessarily as a result of living with a particular condition, but more about the amount of support that an individual needs in order to live well with that condition. For example, an individual living with diabetes who is able to manage their condition with tablets which they can administer themselves, may only require residential care. However, an individual whose sugar levels are more unstable, and whose diabetes is managed with insulin injections which they cannot administer themselves, will require more support and may require nursing care