When researching funding options for care services, you may have heard of the NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding checklist. This is the first step in the CHC assessment process to determine whether a full assessment of eligibility for funding is necessary.
You may want to use the checklist to see if you’re eligible for care due to your age, current health or progressing care requirements. Today, we’ll explore everything you need to know regarding the Continuing Healthcare Checklist to determine whether you’re eligible for funding or not.
The Continuing Healthcare Checklist Criteria
To know how to use the checklist to determine whether you’re eligible for funding or not, you must know what the questions will focus on.
The checklist features 11 care categories, including:
- Breathing
- Nutrition
- Continence
- Skin
- Mobility
- Communication
- Psychological and Emotional Needs
- Cognition
- Behaviour
- Drug Therapies and Medications
- Altered States of Consciousness
Each category is further broken down into three levels (A, B and C), where A represents ‘high care need’ and C represents ‘low care need’. The number of As, Bs and Cs on your completed checklist will determine the outcome.
A ‘positive’ checklist, which would indicate the need for a full assessment to see if you’re eligible for funding, would be indicated by the following scores:
- Two or more As
- Five or more Bs
- One A and four or more Bs
- One or more As in certain categories (Breathing, Behaviour, Drug Therapies and Medications, Altered States of Consciousness)
The checklist is designed to be relatively quick and straightforward, so it doesn’t take too much time. You won’t be expected to provide detailed evidence at this stage.
When Should the Checklist Be Completed?
There is no set timeframe for completing the checklist, so you can apply as soon as your ongoing care needs are clear. The checklist should be completed when there’s a possibility that you may need CHC funding.
However, if you’re currently in the hospital and are facing a period of rehabilitation, the NHS recommends waiting until this has been completed. The checklist is most effective when your long-term care needs are stable and clear.
Who Carries Out the Checklist?
You can ask a number of health professionals to complete the checklist, including your GP, a district nurse, physiotherapist, social worker, care home manager or social care assistant. They must be trained and qualified to complete the checklist.
If you’re struggling to find someone who can help you with your Continuing Healthcare checklist, we recommend contacting your local Integrated Care Board (ICB) for advice.
Preparing for the Continuing Health Checklist
You should be given a reasonable amount of notice of when your assessment will take place, giving you enough time to prepare. The checklist shouldn’t be a stressful or daunting experience, but some people like to prepare for their assessment so they don’t forget any symptoms or care needs they require.
Before your appointment, download the NHS Continuing Healthcare Checklist and familiarise yourself with the care categories. Read the descriptors for A, B and C and consider which describes your needs the best.
Does a Positive Checklist Mean I Qualify for Funding?
No, a positive checklist only confirms your need for a full assessment. You’ll be automatically referred to the next stage of the eligibility process to determine whether you can receive funding. The next stage is the Decision Support Tool.
The checklist has a low threshold for success and is designed to filter out individuals who clearly don’t meet the criteria for CHC funding. It is designed this way to ensure that everyone who may be eligible for funding is considered.
What If My Checklist Is Negative?
A negative checklist confirms that you don’t need any further assessment for funding, as you don’t meet the minimum criteria the checklist is looking for. Provided that the checklist has been completed fairly, you can be confident that you or a loved one doesn’t meet the criteria for CHC funding.
However, this doesn’t mean you won’t qualify for Funded Nursing Care. This weekly payment from the NHS to the nursing home is designed to cover the cost of some basic nursing needs.
Next Steps: What Is a Decision Support Tool?
The Decision Support Tool is carried out by a multidisciplinary team, which will gather a comprehensive picture of your health and care needs. They’ll look at the same 12 categories as the checklist and consider them against the NHS Continuing Healthcare four key indicators to determine whether you have a Primary Health Need.
Anyone with a primary health need should be eligible for Continuing Healthcare funding.
The four key indicators of a primary health need are:
- Nature: The type of needs your condition requires, such as physical or psychological. The effects of your needs on you and your loved ones, and the type of help you might require to manage your needs.
- Intensity: The extent and severity of your needs and the type of support you’ll need to meet them. This includes the need for ongoing, complex care.
- Complexity: How your needs may interact or affect each other, making it more difficult to manage or control. The level of skill required to monitor your symptoms, treat your condition and manage your care.
- Unpredictability: As your needs may vary and fluctuate, unpredictability may create challenges in managing or meeting them. This includes the risks to your health if adequate care isn’t provided in a timely manner.
How Is the Final Eligibility Decision Made?
The multidisciplinary team will deliver its recommendation, which will be reviewed by a registered professional within the ICB, along with the supportive evidence collected. They will verify the decision and you will receive a letter confirming the outcome.
If you’re deemed eligible for Continuing Healthcare, a CHC nurse will be in contact to discuss next steps and your personal health budget.
Can I Use Continuing Healthcare for Private Homecare?
Yes, NHS Continuing Healthcare can fully fund care in your own home, covering healthcare and personal care if you have a primary health need due to a serious illness or disability. You’ll need to be able to prove that your care need is primarily health-related and significant, not social.
At Trinity Homecare, we take pride in providing bespoke, compassionate live-in and visiting care to our clients. We can help you navigate the CHC checklist and next steps, helping you fund services such as complex care, live-in dementia care, and palliative care.
The care we provide includes:
- One-to-one support at home
- Completely bespoke live-in care that has been tailored to you
- Specialist care for a number of different circumstances
- Home carers carefully matched to your needs
- CQC rated ‘Outstanding’ live-in care services
Talk to Trinity Homecare Today
If your loved one requires home care, chat with one of our friendly care team today. We offer a free, no-obligation enquiry and assessment service and are happy to offer information and advice to help you find the perfect home care solution.
Call us on 0207 183 4884 in confidence for a free, no obligation quotation. If enquiring outside of our opening hours, please complete our online form and we will contact you the next day.
