Allow End-of-Life citizens to be buried where they wish, without financial penalty
The Issue
We advocate:
- Where a citizen exits a local community to receive end of life care, and wishes to be buried back in his/her local community, that citizen should still be classed as a resident, as the only reason they moved away was to receive best care.
- We further believe it is reprehensible that Councils can charge a premium for burial of non-residents, where there does not appear to be any additional cost to providing the service. It a tax on the deceased and is discriminatory at best, being levied on a bereaved family at the worst possible time.
BACKGROUND
Our father is now following an End of Life path. After serving in the RAF, following discharge he settled in Lancashire in 1975 with his wife and young family, where he remained for 40+ years.
In late Summer 2015, a joint health assessment was made with the NHS, family and Lancashire County Council, and it was determined that he was incapable of living independently anymore. The family were instructed to find a Residential Care Home within 48 hours, in order that he could be discharged and free up a hospital bed. The time-frame specified was rejected by the family as being completely unreasonable, and they set about finding a suitable care home. During this period, our father was further diagnosed with early onset dementia, which fundamentally changed the search criteria.
The family had to choose where in the UK would be best suited for dad to live. He had lived in Lancashire for 40+ years, but had no family or friends living locally who could support him. To facilitate family support, the choice was either Wales (where his daughter lives), Yorkshire (where his son lives), or Glasgow (where his elderly relatives reside).
A financial assessment undertaken by Lancashire County Council revealed that, under existing regulations, dad was not entitled to any funding from the Local Authority. Indeed, the cost of the 4 carer visits per day which he had been receiving from Lancashire County Council up until hospitalization, had to be reimbursed.
A decision was made by the family to move him to a Dementia Care Home in Yorkshire in October 2015. Given his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and no requirement for nursing care, the family sought a home which provided residential care now, but had the capability of dementia care in the future. This would avoid having to move our father at a later date, which would cause him unnecessary distress.
The family were keen that the residential care home should be akin to his own living space, and the care home should provide accommodation that retained his dignity and privacy for the remainder of his life.
To self-fund the Care Home Fee, and in compliance with current regulations, the family were forced to sell his home, his retirement flat in St Annes.
Having lived in the Care Home in West Yorkshire now for just 15 months, dad has developed pneumonia and, along with his other morbidities, has reached a stage where he is conscious but unresponsive. At this point, the family thought it prudent to start making plans for his passing.
Dad’s last remaining expression of wish, before his Alzheimer's diagnosis, was to be buried with his wife’s ashes in Lytham St Annes. Mum’s ashes have been interred in Lytham Park Cemetery for the last 20 years, since her passing in 1997.
However, on contacting Lytham Park Cemetery, the family have been advised that it is policy for “non-residents” to pay a 50% surcharge for interment at Lytham Park. They have confirmed that dad, now residing in a Yorkshire Care Home, was to be considered a “non-resident”, despite being on the electoral roll and contributing to the Fylde local purse since 1975 up until 2016 (when the flat was sold).
The family fail to understand why there is a 50% surcharge for interring their father, as there is no additional cost to the Council in terms of burying somebody locally, or somebody who resides 150 miles away.
This isn't down to the money. It is a point of principle. It is immoral.
To be clear – all this ex Serviceman wants is to return home, to the County he knows and loves, to be with his wife.
Please support our petition.
The Issue
We advocate:
- Where a citizen exits a local community to receive end of life care, and wishes to be buried back in his/her local community, that citizen should still be classed as a resident, as the only reason they moved away was to receive best care.
- We further believe it is reprehensible that Councils can charge a premium for burial of non-residents, where there does not appear to be any additional cost to providing the service. It a tax on the deceased and is discriminatory at best, being levied on a bereaved family at the worst possible time.
BACKGROUND
Our father is now following an End of Life path. After serving in the RAF, following discharge he settled in Lancashire in 1975 with his wife and young family, where he remained for 40+ years.
In late Summer 2015, a joint health assessment was made with the NHS, family and Lancashire County Council, and it was determined that he was incapable of living independently anymore. The family were instructed to find a Residential Care Home within 48 hours, in order that he could be discharged and free up a hospital bed. The time-frame specified was rejected by the family as being completely unreasonable, and they set about finding a suitable care home. During this period, our father was further diagnosed with early onset dementia, which fundamentally changed the search criteria.
The family had to choose where in the UK would be best suited for dad to live. He had lived in Lancashire for 40+ years, but had no family or friends living locally who could support him. To facilitate family support, the choice was either Wales (where his daughter lives), Yorkshire (where his son lives), or Glasgow (where his elderly relatives reside).
A financial assessment undertaken by Lancashire County Council revealed that, under existing regulations, dad was not entitled to any funding from the Local Authority. Indeed, the cost of the 4 carer visits per day which he had been receiving from Lancashire County Council up until hospitalization, had to be reimbursed.
A decision was made by the family to move him to a Dementia Care Home in Yorkshire in October 2015. Given his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and no requirement for nursing care, the family sought a home which provided residential care now, but had the capability of dementia care in the future. This would avoid having to move our father at a later date, which would cause him unnecessary distress.
The family were keen that the residential care home should be akin to his own living space, and the care home should provide accommodation that retained his dignity and privacy for the remainder of his life.
To self-fund the Care Home Fee, and in compliance with current regulations, the family were forced to sell his home, his retirement flat in St Annes.
Having lived in the Care Home in West Yorkshire now for just 15 months, dad has developed pneumonia and, along with his other morbidities, has reached a stage where he is conscious but unresponsive. At this point, the family thought it prudent to start making plans for his passing.
Dad’s last remaining expression of wish, before his Alzheimer's diagnosis, was to be buried with his wife’s ashes in Lytham St Annes. Mum’s ashes have been interred in Lytham Park Cemetery for the last 20 years, since her passing in 1997.
However, on contacting Lytham Park Cemetery, the family have been advised that it is policy for “non-residents” to pay a 50% surcharge for interment at Lytham Park. They have confirmed that dad, now residing in a Yorkshire Care Home, was to be considered a “non-resident”, despite being on the electoral roll and contributing to the Fylde local purse since 1975 up until 2016 (when the flat was sold).
The family fail to understand why there is a 50% surcharge for interring their father, as there is no additional cost to the Council in terms of burying somebody locally, or somebody who resides 150 miles away.
This isn't down to the money. It is a point of principle. It is immoral.
To be clear – all this ex Serviceman wants is to return home, to the County he knows and loves, to be with his wife.
Please support our petition.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on 28 January 2017