Why some people are indignant about paying for care

It is the second of June, and this time of year is always a bit alarming for me. Round about now people start saying, “This should have been done by June!” and I get nervous. I think, “What have I missed? What should I have done?”

Over the seven days of Dementia Awareness Week in Scotland I am going to outline seven things that I should have done. Maybe I forgot? Maybe I tried and got knocked back?

Maybe I thought everyone knew and I just didn’t think it needed to be done by me.

Here is the second one.

Backlash for paying for care

I should have explained why some people are indignant about paying for care.

A minority of people are not worried about paying. This includes the high net worth people who have plenty of resources, maybe selling a second home to pay or using some of the vast wealth they have amassed in their lifetime. They are accustomed to paying for things.

Another group of people don’t have to pay because they’ve got very little in the way of resources, and the local authority will take care of them. They might not get what they want, or it might be splendid. What they get depends on a local budget and a bit of a lottery.

The indignant people are mainly those who had to sell their house to pay for care. They are cross because they see other people getting care for free. They wanted to leave their house as a legacy to someone else. They are annoyed at themselves for failing to spend all their money or hide it or give it away in time. They may have made sacrifices and worked hard, or just been lucky, and they feel that it is unfair to have to use up their wealth at this late stage of their lives. Some have been especially annoyed because they did not see it coming but of course there has been much more publicity recently, so what have they been doing?

There are political and philosophical views that are opposite. Some people think that all property should be communal and everything you have should go back to the state when you die. Some think it is OK for families to amass wealth and pass it from generation to generation. Depending on where you are on this spectrum you might be indignant at paying for care.

More information in my new book - Care Homes: When, Why and How to Choose a Care Home

A lot of this is in my new book, the One Stop Guide to Care Homes… but the Covid crisis has meant that publication has been delayed. I want you to know that this knowledge was available before June. Maybe you weren’t told or you were not looking for it. Or maybe you already knew.

 If you would like more information, you can buy my book Dementia, the One Stop Guide or Care Homes: When, Why and How to Choose a Care Home. I am available for consultancy for families or organisations. And if you have any further queries or questions, or suggestions for something you’d like to see me write on, please contact me via the Contact Page

See my new course on Dementia the One Stop Guide on Policy Hub here