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Hayley Garratt-Milne says her family sold her mother Carole’s Isleworth home to help pay for dementia care, now costing just over £8,000 a month. Carole receives partial funding, but an application for NHS continuing healthcare was rejected twice; the family’s account highlights concerns about assessment decisions and the financial pressure on relatives.
Hayley Garratt-Milne says her family sold her mother Carole’s four-bedroom home in Isleworth to help pay for dementia care that now costs just over £8,000 a month. Carole, 72, receives partial funding for nursing care, but her application for NHS continuing healthcare was rejected twice, leaving her family facing substantial bills and uncertainty over how long the sale proceeds will last.
Carole bought the west London home in 1988 after saving from her work as a hairdresser, and raised her two daughters there. She developed dementia at 65 and, according to Hayley, soon needed round-the-clock support. The family struggled to meet care fees that began at about £6,000 a month, while Hayley was expecting a child.
Hayley says Surrey County Council placed a legal charge on the property, after which the family sold it for £715,000. She said the sale was emotionally difficult, particularly because she had to clear the house while heavily pregnant. The proceeds were initially expected to cover around ten years of care, but, with monthly fees now slightly above £8,000, Hayley says they would last less than seven and a half years at the current rate.
The headline fee is not the only cost, Hayley said. She reports paying extra for items and services, including £25 toenail care and personal supplies such as shower gel. Although Carole receives partial support for nursing care, Hayley says it has not removed the family’s substantial personal contribution.
When care fees rise faster than family savings
Hayley Garratt-Milne says her family sold her mother Carole’s Isleworth home to help fund dementia care. Her account shows the financial strain and uncertainty families can face.
How the costs changed
Hayley says the fees rose from about £6,000 a month to just over £8,000.
What continuing healthcare means
NHS continuing healthcare is not means-tested and may cover care at home or in a care home for people assessed as having a qualifying primary health need.
A multidisciplinary team considers the person’s needs; dementia alone does not decide eligibility.
The account describes possible further review or challenge, but says no next assessment or appeal is confirmed.
What the figures show
The supplied material gives system-level context, but not the detailed reasons for Carole’s individual decisions.
| Review type | Eligible in reported figures |
|---|---|
| Completed local reviews, April–December 2024 | 15% |
| Independent reviews, April–December 2024 | 24% |
Costs beyond the headline fee
Hayley says the family still contributes substantially despite partial nursing-care funding.
Personal care
She reports paying £25 for toenail care.
Everyday items
Personal supplies, including shower gel, are charged separately, she says.
The Cost of Carole’s Care
The account shows how care-home fees can outpace a family’s initial financial plans, even after a home has been sold. The family’s experience also raises questions about the distinction between means-tested local-authority support and NHS continuing healthcare, which can cover the full cost for people assessed as having a qualifying level of complex care need.
For relatives, the consequences are financial as well as personal. Hayley says she continues to take on care responsibilities and worries about her mother’s safety. Her account is one family’s experience; it does not by itself establish how often similar events occur or whether the care home’s staff acted improperly in the incident she describes.
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How NHS Care Funding Is Assessed
NHS continuing healthcare is a package of care for people assessed as having a primary health need. The source material says it is not means-tested and can cover care-home costs or care at home. Eligibility is based on a person’s overall needs and is assessed by a multidisciplinary team; having dementia alone does not determine whether someone qualifies.
Carole’s family applied for this funding, which Hayley says could have covered all the bills, but the application was refused on two occasions. The source gives figures showing that, between April and December 2024, 15% of completed local reviews and 24% of independent reviews resulted in eligibility. It also cites a 2020 Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report that found serious failings in some continuing healthcare decisions, including incorrect or delayed decisions. These figures and findings provide system-level context, but do not establish the reasons for Carole’s individual decisions.
The account also describes a broader funding split: some care-home residents pay the full cost themselves, while others receive contributions from the NHS or local councils. The source cites an estimate that 37% of care-home residents are fully self-funded. The basis and date for that estimate are not specified in the supplied material.
“Mum had a house in London, but she didn’t have any cash. So, Surrey County Council put a charge on her property, and then we were forced to sell it. It was really stressful.”
— Hayley Garratt-Milne
Funding Decisions and Care Concerns
The supplied account does not give the detailed reasoning behind the two decisions refusing Carole NHS continuing healthcare, or the full findings of her assessments. Hayley says her mother needs help with almost everything, cannot walk independently and cannot feed or communicate for herself; these are her descriptions and are not a published clinical assessment.
Hayley also alleges that she once found her mother choking while care-home staff watched without helping. No response from the care home is included in the source material, and the account does not establish what happened before or after Hayley arrived. The current balance of the care costs, the exact amount of public funding, and any further appeal or review are not stated.
The Family’s Remaining Options
The next practical milestone would be any further review or challenge of Carole’s continuing healthcare decision, if the family chooses to pursue one. The source does not say whether another assessment is scheduled or whether an appeal is under way. The family will also need to manage continuing fees and additional charges as the remaining proceeds are used.
The source describes a proposed nationwide support initiative, Dementia Carers Together, developed with Alzheimer’s Society. It says the project will offer six-week courses for friends and relatives, covering support, rights and available services. No launch date or course locations are specified in the material.
Key Questions
How much does Carole’s care cost?
Hayley says the care-home fees have risen from about £6,000 a month to just over £8,000 a month over the five years Carole has been in the home. She says extras are charged separately.
Why did the family sell Carole’s house?
Hayley says the family struggled to pay the care fees and that Surrey County Council placed a legal charge on the property. The four-bedroom Isleworth house was sold for £715,000, according to the source.
What is NHS continuing healthcare?
It is NHS-funded care for people assessed as having a qualifying primary health need. According to the source, it is not means-tested and can cover care at home or in a care home. Eligibility depends on an assessment of a person’s overall needs.
Was Carole approved for continuing healthcare?
No. Hayley says Carole was assessed twice and refused both times. The detailed reasons for those decisions are not included in the source material.
What support for dementia carers is described?
The source says Dementia Carers Together, working with Alzheimer’s Society, plans to provide six-week courses for friends and relatives. The courses are intended to cover support, carers’ rights and available services; launch details are not given.
Source: thisismoney.co.uk
