NHS Continuing care assessment

I wrote about this in a previous blog in August 2018, which resulted in nurse funding for my Mum. This time around the care home was hopeful that Mum might be approved for the full continuing care whereby the NHS would pick up 100% of my Mum’s care costs.

The individual is reviewed and assessed against various care domains and in order to be approved Mum would have to score as one ‘severe’ and four ‘high’.

Mum scored as one ‘severe’ and three ‘high’ for nutrition, cognition, mobility and communication. Sometimes they account for a number of ‘moderate’ scores to make up for the fourth ‘high’ however in this instance they did not and as such Mum’s case was not approved for continuing care. The care home nurse informed me that in a lot of dementia cases the behaviour domain score is high whereby behaviour can be challenging and potentially cause a risk to self, others or property. My Mum is so gentle and compliant that she scores low in this domain.

From a financial perspective it is no longer such an impact for me given the majority of Mum’s costs are now covered by the care home and council, however I can appreciate why the care home would be keen for Mum’s case to be approved.

I feel blessed that she scores low in the behaviour domain and is so gentle as it makes spending time with her an absolute pleasure which outweighs a higher score in order to pass the NHS assessment any day!