Senior Support

When Care Costs Spiral

Financial neglect and mounting care home debts threatened the Stendels' placement until benefits, insurance payouts, and legal steps stabilized their situation.

Smiling elderly woman wearing glasses, being affectionately touched by another person.

The daughter had placed her parents, Mr and Mrs Stendel (aged 80 and 83), in a nursing home and generally looked after them. At the same time she was going through a separation, had little time, and was under financial pressure as she wanted to open a small café.

Because she was unable to submit the necessary applications to the social welfare office in time, care home cost arrears of more than €20,000 accumulated. The care home therefore requested the appointment of a legal guardian to secure the parents' places.

Ongoing expenses first had to be reviewed and reduced: telephone contracts in the daughter's name were cancelled, as was a gym membership. An old, still-registered car in the parents' name generated further costs; negotiations with the traffic authority, police, tax office, and car insurance were necessary to resolve and terminate the obligations.

Basic security benefits were applied for to cover Mrs Stendel's care home costs. Because her own pension was very small, Mr Stendel's higher pension was partially used to cover her fees, but this was not sufficient. A funeral expense insurance policy was concluded, and after her death a widower's pension for Mr Stendel was applied for. The payout of a life insurance policy finally made it possible to clear all outstanding care home debts for both spouses.

This secured the couple's care home places, reduced the financial strain on the family, and ensured the parents' long-term care and support.

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