We recently covered how much living in a nursing home costs, but one of the common concerns we hear from potential residents and their families relates to hidden costs.
While it’s true that not every nursing home is created equal — and that some can and do spring surprise bills on their residents — here at Fulford, we’re committed to transparency.
So, in this post, we thought we’d share some of the most notable hidden costs of nursing home care and explain how we do things differently.
Notable Hidden Fees of Nursing Home Care
A 2016 Citizens Advice report highlighted that key charges can be difficult to discover prior to entering into a care home contract, and that these charges can vary substantially from one home to the next.
The most common hidden charges include:
- Personal care services, such as hairdressing or chiropody
- Transportation to and from hospital appointments
- Calling home from an in-room telephone (often includes installation of the phone line and bills)
- Wi-Fi connections
- Contents insurance
- Entertainment (both inside and outside of the nursing home)
There can often be an expectation that everything is included in the cost of moving into a nursing home, but we always recommend asking what costs extra when choosing a care home.
At Fulford, Nothing is Hidden
Like many other nursing homes, there are costs on the list above that we simply cannot meet through the monthly fee alone. We tell all of our prospective residents and their loved ones that we take care of almost everything, but the occasional haircut, favourite sweets, or daily newspaper will cost extra.
The same is true for an in-room telephone. The installation and ongoing phone bills need to be paid by the resident, as it wouldn’t be fair to spread that cost across everyone’s fee. We’re upfront about this while ensuring that all residents have access to a free communal telephone should they wish to contact their loved ones. We also provide Wi-FI as standard (other homes charge extra).
What else is included?
At Fulford, we provide room and board, along with nursing services, equipment, furniture, bedding, toiletries, snacks, and a full and engaging activities programme as part of the fee. If you want a gin or sherry with your lunch, that’s covered. Some homes have cash bars, but for us, it’s part of the package.
And whatever you or your loved one end up paying (whether it’s self-funded or through local authority funding), it’s important to note that there will be a certain amount of money left over. This can be spent or saved as the resident sees fit. Moving into a nursing home is simply a change of postcode, so you can continue to enjoy the things you love, just in a different environment.
From newspapers and magazines to the occasional sweetie, and even sushi (that was a surprise to us!), our residents can spend their own money to make the nursing home experience unique to them.
We Try to Do Things Differently
For every prospective resident and their family, we provide a clear breakdown of costs. This includes the prices of any additional services, such as hairdressers, chiropodists, or beauticians (separate from anything we pay for and provide as part of the entertainment package).
We believe that you can only make the right decision for yourself or your loved one with all of the available information. We’re completely transparent on pricing from day one, so you don’t have to worry about hidden costs or surprise bills.
Do You Have Any Questions?
Whether you choose Fulford or another facility, everyone is entitled to local authority advice. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to your local council or Citizens Advice.
And if you’d like to learn more about nursing home fees in general — or Fulford in particular — or if you’re looking for a room for yourself or a loved one, we’re ready to listen and happy to help.
Contact us on 01904 654 269.