baldyfrank

Hei,alle sammen.
Well NuShooz, we moved in 2007 because I have my daughter living here with her Norwegian husband and two grandsons.
They of course love and have both good jobs so can afford the high prices.
I was offered work here despite my age, and my wife works part time.
However, the recession struck even here and i lost my job. My wife still works.
Economically it wont be feasible to stay here in the long term, because my English pension will not go far.
yes it is incredibly expensive here. Oslo was quoted as dearest city in world.Also health considerations,as you have to pay each time you visit doctor,and you need a mortgage to visit a dentist here!
If I was honest,I think we did make a mistake coming here,but you only live once,so its an experience. Made me realise UK not so bad.

Yes the winters are bad. We had snow on Xmas day for 48 hours continual leaving many feet of snow! Unlike England the schools never close.
We have had bitter cold daytime temperatures of -18 to -24c for days.Now little warmer at -7c.
So yes winters are long and cold;bit summers are lovely and warm with weeks of sunshine and high temps up to 30c!
I can speak enough Norsk to get by. My daughter of course is totally fluent as are the boys.
Gotta go out now, takes ages putting on all winter clothes and scarves and thermals ,gloves etc. So much snow its incredible, havent seen my garden for weeks just buried up to fence tops!
Jeg ønsker deres en flott og hyggelig god helg,
Ha det bra

Mallory

I think that story has been misconstrued on purpose by the DM. My uncle was in an Alzheimer's unit, and I know some of the rules from that.

They can't make the wife sell the home. The daughter was saying that if they had to pay her dad's care, they would be forced to sell the home to come up with the money.

The NHS rules are if you are totally sick (i.e. stroke etc), and can't take care of your daily needs, NHS will pay for full care. However, if you aren't totally sick and incapacitated, whilst in the care home the NHS will only pay for your normal doctor and nursing care, as per usual, (not residental care, bed, meals, etc). In other words, you shouldn't really be in the nursing home, but could be at home taken care of by family.

This is the case for this person. The doctor said he didn't need to be there. So family needs to cough up money for residential care - not medical care.

Daughter is saying they wouldn't pass the means test for full NHS care (as for poor people), and said they would have to sell house (sort of threat). NHS not taking house off them, just saying that dad needs to be at home, until fully incapacitated.

I guess, if everyone wanted their parents in a nursing home, there wouldn't be enough beds.

Beedubya

I don't know the whole ins and outs of this, and this is just my understanding, but my sister and her husband (he is over 60) have sold their home and are renting. Apparently somebody they know had to go into a nursing home and the family had to sell the house to cover the costs and so the investment in the house has gone to pay for his care leaving his family with no inheritance after all those years of hard work and paying the mortgage etc.

So my sister and her husband made the decision to get the money for themselves now and are having fabulous holidays while they are still able and have given money to their kids whilst it is still there to be had.

Their thoughts (I think) are why should they be penalised for working hard and owning their own home if they have to go into care while people who have rented their whole lives get the same care at no cost should this scenario eventuate........

Barb

Mallory

So, if they go into a care home, who is going to pay the bill? Oh, that's right, the taxpayer.

Beedubya

Yep, 'cos they ARE the taxpayers and have been paying tax for the past 50 odd years. Never been on the dole, never claimed benefits.............why should they and their children be disadvantaged? They also did this to help their kids out with deposits for mortgages BTW.

Oh AND they are both still working and paying tax, unlike some people who come to this country for free operations and the like. And let us not forget these migrants who come here purely for the benefits and council houses........and NEVER will work and have no intention of doing so thereby paying NO tax.

They are queueing up in France to get in I believe.

JAJ

Two counter-thoughts are:

1. The quality of state-provided care may not be the best; and

2. I have difficulty understanding how people can see any entitlement to an inheritance, at least in the monetary sense.

Simon Legree

I agree. I'm enjoying my retirement to the max. I have been doing for almost eight years now. I'm having too much fun spending my kids inheritance and they know and encourage that.

Jerseygirl

Exactly. Over the last 9 months this is something my sister has been reviewing for mum. Using government entitlements...plus extra cash payment mum could be in a much better nursing home than she would otherwise go into.

Mallory

Plus, the state pension of the spouse in the care home, goes toward their upkeep at the home. It doesn't go to the spouse who is left living at home.

Bevm

Isn't it true that savings are considered assets when it comes to nursing homes? So most of it will go to the costs anyway, unless they've already given it to their kids, no strings attached. I think that's right.

There was something on the radio the other day about houses and nursing homes. If the spouse or a relative over 60 (I think) or one with disabilities, is still living in the home it's not taken into account.

And it's true that a person gets into a better place if they have money to contribute, and they can't be thrown out when the money runs out. Plus, unless it's changed recently, something like 50,000 can't be touched anyway.

Bev

johnh009

There is an old saying that goes: "there is only one thing worse than death and that is outliving your money." But, yes, you are right, it can be taken too far.