Alternatives to care funded by the local authority

NHS care

The NHS is responsible for funding certain types of healthcare equipment you may need. In some situations, the NHS is also responsible for meeting care needs. This is usually when your need is mainly for healthcare rather than social care

NHS care could be provided in hospital, but it could be in someone’s own home or elsewhere in the community.

NHS continuing healthcare

If the person you care for has very severe and complex health needs, they may qualify for NHS continuing healthcare. This is an ongoing package of care that’s fully funded by the NHS.

In some areas of the country, you can arrange your NHS Continuing Healthcare using a personal health budget – similar to the personal budgets for social care outlined above. Find out about personal health budgets.

NHS-funded nursing care

You should receive NHS-funded nursing care if:

you live in a care home registered to provide nursing care, and

you don’t qualify for NHS continuing healthcare but have been assessed as needing care from a registered nurse

The NHS will make a payment directly to the care home to fund care from registered nurses who are usually employed by the care home.

For more information see What is NHS-funded nursing care?

NHS aftercare

People who were previously detained in hospital under certain sections of the Mental Health Act will have their aftercare services provided for free.

Help from charities and funds

There are other sources of funding you might be able to access to help you with funding care. Some charities can help with funding care needs. For example, the Family Fund is a government-backed charity that can help with grants if you care for a severely disabled child aged 17 or under. You can get an application pack from the Family Fund website.

Get personal advice on care funding

The cost of care and support is likely to be a long-term commitment and may be substantial, particularly if you choose to go into a care home, or if you have care needs at an early age. If you or a member of the family need to pay for care at home or in a care home, it’s important to understand the alternatives. This makes advice tailored to your individual needs vital. You can get advice from:

your local authority – through an assessment of your care and support needs, as well as advice on which services are available locally

financial advice from a qualified, independent source – there are independent financial advisers who specialise in care funding advice; they are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and must stick to a code of conduct and ethics, and take shared responsibility for the suitability of any product they recommend