Care Funding
Who qualifies for care funding?
We know that it can be hard to understand what care funding you might be entitled to.
Firstly, in order to distinguish what specific type of funding – healthcare funding or social care funding – you may be entitled to, it is important to make the distinction between the two types of care.
Definitions of social care and healthcare are somewhat ambiguous, and it is therefore important to explore all options and seek advice from medical or legal professionals to make this distinction where uncertainty prevails.
However, the below definitions provided by the National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care should help to get you started:
Healthcare needs
“Whilst there is not a legal definition of a healthcare need (in the context of NHS continuing healthcare), in general terms it can be said that such a need is one related to the treatment, control or prevention of a disease, illness, injury or disability, and the care or aftercare of a person with these needs (whether or not the tasks involved have to be carried out by a health professional).”
Social care needs
“In general terms, it can be said that a social care need is one that is focused on providing assistance with activities of daily living, maintaining independence, social interaction, enabling the individual to play a fuller part in society, protecting them in vulnerable situations, helping them to manage complex relationships and accessing a care home or other supported accommodation.”