Councils stop elderly from getting help
27 November 2010, by Emma Simon (The Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/longtermcare/8161457/Councils-stop-elderly-from-getting-help.htmlExcerpt:Thousands of elderly people are paying nursing home fees that should be covered by the NHS. Solicitor Daniella Lipszyc of Ultimate Law said she had dealt with a number of cases where those needing nursing care had been wrongly assessed by their local authority and, as a result, had paid thousands of pounds in fees that should have been paid by the Government.
She said: "I first came across this problem when a member of my own family needed care. But this problem appears to be far more widespread and I have since taken on a number of cases in a professional capacity."
This has involved challenging funding decisions made by local authorities as well as pursuing cases with the Health Service Ombudsman and the courts to seek redress for those mis-assessed.