When should someone living with dementia go into a care home?

Somebody living with dementia should go into a care home when they can no longer live safely by themselves. They may need support with daily tasks or require specialist care, and would benefit from living in a controlled setting where their needs can be taken care of, such as a dementia care home.

Can someone living with dementia refuse care?

If your loved one with dementia doesn’t want to receive care, it’s important to speak to them in a caring manner. Remember that they’re going through a difficult and often scary time, so not wanting to fully accept their situation and receive care is completely understandable.If your loved one doesn’t want to be cared for, you can speak to a healthcare professional such as their GP to get expert advice on the next steps.

Do People Living With Dementia Have To Pay Care Home Fees?

People living with a form of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease often require specialist support, such as in a dementia care home or through home care.

Whether you’ll pay for dementia care depends on the results of a financial assessment, which takes into account things such as your savings and income. People living with dementia may also be eligible for a form of NHS funding that’ll pay for some or all of their care.

This article explains whether people living with dementia pay for their own care, both in a dementia care home or in their own home.

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Do People Living With Dementia Pay For Their Own Care?

In most cases, people living with dementia do pay for their own care, assuming the total value of their savings and income (and assets if care in a care home is needed) are above their country’s threshold.

Our 2024 Care Seeker Survey found that the proportion of people who use personal savings to pay for their own care has significantly increased since 2021, from 41% to 65%. This was most apparent in England, where funding thresholds are the least generous to care seekers.

Some people living with dementia qualify for a form of NHS funding, such as NHS continuing healthcare. This is for people with long-term, complex care needs. If eligible for this, the NHS will fully fund your care and support. We’ve explained NHS funding in greater detail below.

The cost of dementia care will vary, depending on:

The setting you receive care in, such as at home or in a care home
Location
The specific type of dementia care needed, such as residential dementia care or nursing dementia care

Our care home costs data shows that self-funded residential dementia care costs an average of £1,430 a week in the UK, while nursing dementia care costs an average of £1,585 a week.

NHS Funding For People Living With Dementia

If your loved one with dementia is classed as having complex healthcare needs, they could be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare. If eligible, the NHS will fully fund your care through your local integrated care board (ICB). You should speak to your loved one’s healthcare provider, doctor or social worker if you think they may be eligible.

However, not everybody living with dementia will be eligible for NHS continuing healthcare.

Your loved one could also be eligible for NHS-funded nursing care. This is for people who receive nursing care in a nursing home. In this case, the NHS will contribute towards the cost of nursing care.

You can only get one of these two forms of NHS funding.

We’re here to help you find the right dementia care home for you or your loved one. You can request a free list of dementia care homes from our care experts, who will then share homes matching your budget and location. You can also search for a dementia care home through our easy-to-use directory.

Local Authority Funding For People Living With Dementia

A financial assessment (means test) will work out whether you’ll pay for own dementia care or if the local authority will pay for it. They’ll add up the total value of your savings and income (and assets if care in a care home is needed), before subtracting any debts to give a total figure.

You’ll pay for your own dementia care if you’re above the upper threshold. Your local authority will partially fund your care if you’re between the two thresholds, and they’ll fully fund it if you’re below the lower threshold.

Here are the UK savings thresholds for 2024/2025:

Country	Upper Savings Threshold	Lower Savings Threshold
England	£23,250	£14,250
Northern Ireland	£23,250	£14,250
Scotland	£35,000	£21,500
Wales	£50,000 for care homes and £24,000 for home care	N/A

A financial assessment immediately follows a care needs assessment, and you can book a care needs assessment through social services here.

People often take a care needs assessment on behalf of a loved one living with dementia. During this assessment, you’ll be asked about things like:

Any dementia symptoms they’re displaying
How these symptoms affect their day-to-day life
Diet
Mobility
Their ability to use the toilet and wash themselves
How they sleep
Any medication they’re taking
Any aids that have been put in place, such as shower seats

Paying for dementia care in a care home

When having a financial assessment for permanent dementia care in a care home, the total value of your savings, income and assets will all be included.

If you own a property, this is counted as an asset. There are only a few circumstances where your home won’t be included in the financial assessment, such as if your spouse, partner or civil partner still lives in the home, or you only need short-term care.

Paying for dementia care at home

When having a financial assessment for dementia care at home, the total value of your savings and income will be included, but assets such as your home won’t be if you plan to continue living in this home while receiving care.

Benefits For People Living With Dementia

A range of benefits are available to people living with dementia:

People living with dementia often qualify for a disability benefit such as Attendance Allowance (for people above the State Pension age) and Personal Independence Payment (for people below the State Pension age). These are the main non-means tested benefits for self-funders
Universal Credit is also available for people living with dementia who are of working age
There are benefits to lower your housing costs, including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support (through which you can get a reduction or exemption)
If you care for someone living with dementia and are on a low income, you could also be eligible for Carer’s Allowance

Find Dementia Care Through Lottie

You can find a range of dementia care options through Lottie. We list dementia care homes rated ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can also request a free list of dementia care homes from our team of care experts, who will share homes matching your care needs, location, budget and any other requirements.

Our dementia care homes have dementia-specific facilities to ensure your loved one receives a fulfilling experience, such as reminiscence rooms, sensory gardens and key-coded doors. The teams in these homes are hardworking and experienced in caring for people using specialist dementia techniques.

You can also use Lottie to find dementia home care agencies, including hourly (domiciliary) care, live-in care and overnight care, with many providers offering early-stage and late-stage dementia care. To ease your search, request a free list of home care agencies near you.

Residential dementia care

Residential dementia care is for people who need regular support with their personal care and other daily living tasks. Personal care includes help with things like getting dressed, getting in and out of bed, washing, bathing and taking certain medications.

Nursing dementia care

Nursing dementia care is provided around the clock by registered nurses. Nursing dementia care involves specific medical procedures and is aimed at people with more complex physical and medical needs.

Lottie matches care seekers with the best dementia care homes for their needs. You can also request a free list of dementia care homes from our care experts, who will share homes matching your budget and location.