Should frail, sick elderly people be forced to pay for their long-term care?

Question

My late father developed Alzheimer's disease and had to go into a nursing home. The SS said he must sell his home to pay for his own care. As I held an Enduring Power of Attorney, I refused because under the 1946 NHS act ALL care should be free. Many like my dad end up in this situation - although he had never taken a day off work or claimed any sort of state benefit. When he needed his country's help they said he 'wasn't eligible' and turned him down - yet as a young man he served his country well - he fought at Arnham etc. but all that apparently counts for nothing!

In fact I took my case to the Ombudsman - and won! I am now helping over 300 people to obtain the right to free NHS care which they earned through a lifetimes taxation. See nhscare.info All we demand is that the government obeys the law! You can now join a national campaign to end this disgraceful continuing care shambles. If you are in this situation you can contact others via. a dedicated msn message board.

Many people say 'those who can afford to pay should pay' but that would destroy the NHS because either all pay or none pay - or should we just discriminate against the elderly and long term sick? Shouldn't everyone pay to see their GP, for every blood test, X-ray or scan, drugs, chemotherapy, dressings, etc. and all pre- and post-natal care, when childbearing isn't even an illness! All surgery, hospital stays and every visit by the district nurse would have to be charged for Is that what British people really want? What they DEMAND is health care 'free at the point of need' for every British citizen - just as it's enlightened and compassionate founding fathers intended in 1946 and which has been paid for by our 'senior citizens' through years of taxation. This country can easily afford it - stop wasting £Billions on the corrupt 'European Union', petty third world dictatorships, mid-east wars and military junk! And sack the £250K p.a NHS managers who clearly admit they can't cope!

Answer 1

My brother (aged 53) spent over nine months in hospital and entered a nursing home on 10th March, 2006. He suffered a massive Intracerebral Haemorrhage on 24th May, 2005. Rod has had 4 or 5 infections including MRSA twice, is in constant pain on his paralysed side, lower back, left eye and left testicle (Thalamic Pain Syndrome), headaches, skin irritation, peg fed at night but can be fed chopped up food orally, on 17 different medications at present but under constant review, spasm, epileptic, history of heart attack, suicidal, depression, virtually bed bound, needs turning every 2 hours because he is at risk of pressure sores, bed bound, hoisted out of bed by two people, panic attacks, does not leave his room, frightened and feels totally out of control. Rod has been on and off medications approx 30 times since 10th March, 2006. According to the NHS assessment this man is stable, predictable and his need is not a health need but a social need!!!! I have never heard such rubbish in all my life.

Tony Blair said at the Labour Party Conference in 1997:

“It’s pretty simple, the type of country I want. It’s a country our children are happy to grow up in, feeling good not just about themselves but about the community around them. I don’t want them brought up in a country where the only way pensioners can get long term care is by selling their homes”.

Since then approximately 700,000 homes have been sold to pay for pensioners care. I know Rod is a lot younger but it applies to all ages. These poor people who have paid taxes and national insurance all their lives suddenly get taxed again when they become ill. What an absolute disgrace!!!!!

WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO FULLY FUNDED NHS CONTINUING HEALTH CARE UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE ACT 1946/48 AND UNDER THE COURT OF APPEAL IN COUGHLAN.

The Coughlan Case, which was won by Pamela Coughlan in the Court of Appeal, set a precedent in law in 1999 but the NHS is still abusing this law. The NHS wrongly interprets the words from the Coughlan judgement as “primary health need”. The actual words of Lord Woolf were: “primarily health needs for which the Health Authority is as a matter of law responsible”. It is the patient’s condition, not the nursing care that entitles them to free health care. Under the 1946 Health Act all those with health needs (an illness or disability) are entitled to NHS care ‘free at the point of use’. The law has not changed since 1946!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot believe how the NHS can be allowed to get away with their unlawful behaviour, everyone thinks that they can trust our democratic system but unfortunately this is not the case. NHS actions regarding continuing care are blatantly flawed and unlawful. They must be stopped!!!!! They are causing misery and grief to many thousands of older people and their families all over the country.

Check out WWW.NHSCARE.INFO for valuable information.

Answer 2

1. Nothing will be free under the health care reform bill. It is purely a BAILOUT of the indigent care charities, which have been overwhelmed by all the illegals pouring into the country and using the emergency room as their primary care provider. These charities are financed by the ultra wealthy like Bill and Melinda Gates, the Kennedys, and the Rockefellers. Even they can't afford to pay for the illegals anymore, so they're throwing the load over onto the people. THAT IS THE ONLY REASON WHY WE ARE GETTING HEALTH CARE REFORM NOW. THAT IS THE ONLY PURPOSE OF HEALTH CARE REFORM. THAT IS WHY OBAMA DICTATED THAT IT MUST COVER ILLEGALS. 2. If something like that happens, it's called "being out of luck." That's what happens when the government makes an abrupt and radical change in direction of government policy. It leaves many people broke and out of luck.

Answer 3

Not sure where you live. My grandfather had Alzheimer's. Because he was retired Army, we put him in the Old Soldiers Home in D.C. There are many of these all over the United States. Here is a list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_soldiers'_home
I totally agree with you. I don't not believe that especially if you are a veteran that you should have to pay for something like that. No way. Good grief, my grandfather had 2 Silver Stars and a Purple Heart from Omaha Beach. No way.

Answer 4

Its a very difficult issue. If the NHS or "the government" pay for continuing care then where does the money come from? It can only be raised by higher taxes or by cutting funding in some other area. Providing full-time care is very expensive.

Answer 5

I worked in the nursing home system for so long and it is just heart wrenching. These people that nobody cares to fight for, paved our roads, built art, and so much more. We live off of their hard work. It sickens me that the elderly have to sell their belongings when they go into a nursing home! They worked so hard for what they have, just to have it taken from them. Yes, it should be free. Americans don't raise much fuss when they know they are using taxpayer money to care for illegal aliens in this country, educations and hospital expenses. PEOPLE, WAKE UP, complain! One person can only do so much but if people would raise a fuss about issues like this to their local reps things would change. All care would now be free for the elderly. It's a common courtesy to take care of them. They wiped your damn nose and smiled at your diapered butt when they saw you in a store. What you should have done before he got so sick is to have him transfer the deed of the house into your name for a small price. It's too late now but you can educate people so that they don't have to make the same mistakes and have their lively hoods torn from them.

Answer 6

If people have worked all their life and paid taxes etc they should get the care for free no questions asked. Anyone who has never worked or paid into the system should be forced to pay for the care.

Answer 7

i don't think any elderly people should pay for there care weather they are ill or not , i think the government stinks cause they give all these drug addicts and rapists all they want and then they make the decent people pay, I'm am so sorry for you to have gone through this and hope in the next few years the government changes their approach to the way they treat decent human beings best of luck xx

Answer 8

I think we British treat our elderly apallingly.

Just look at other European states and see how much they care and respect those who saved them from tyranny.

Our governments see the elderly as a source of income until the day they die - it's sick and unfair.

About time someone did something about it

Answer 9

It matters, however, they go by, if you can pay for it then you have to. There are just way too many people that need to be in a nursing home who absolutely cant pay for it. Those are the ones that get it for free. The gov't would be in even greater debt if they paid for nursing for people who can pay for it themselves. Theres just too many.

Answer 10

I think it is a disgrace that people like your father, who has worked all his life, paid his Tax & NIC, struggled to buy his own home in order to be comfortable in his old age, should be forced to sell it to pay for the care he has been paying for all his life.
I do not see anyone demanding payment from junkies & the like for their treatment for what is after all a self inflicted problem.
Well done to you for standing up to them.