Bridge McFarland - About Us

Pauline Flower

Specialist Areas:

Wills and Probate, Trusts and elderly client matters - including Enduring Powers of Attorney, IHT planning and NHS Continuing Healthcare.

As one of a very small number of solicitors specialising in NHS Continuing Healthcare Law, Pauline has built an expanding practice in this area which has given our firm a nationwide profile. Pauline also has expertise in NHS Continuing Healthcare. 

The funding rules for financing elderly care in a residential or nursing home appears straightforward.  If you have assets above £23,250 you pay for your care in full unless you are entitled to NHS Continuing Healthcare funding to pay for nursing care.

There are complicated rules and criteria to assess how much you should be paying for care home services.  Some of these rules can allow your house and other significant assets to be ignored when it comes to calculating your assets.

Social Services funding rules has led to a great deal of misinformation about paying for elderly care.  As a result many people have been forced into selling their homes and other assets when it comes to paying for care fees.  In some parts of the county this means £50,000 per year.

When you go into care we can help to make sure that Social Services apply the financial assessment rules to ensure that you are not asked to pay to much towards the cost of your care.  We can also advise on how Social Services should treat your jointly held assets and what income and investments should be disregarded. 

Pauline is an expert in NHS Continuing Healthcare and has successfully reclaimed nursing home fees for families who have been wrongly denied help paying for nursing care.  She can save in some cases £2000 per month ongoing nursing home charges.  If your elderly parent is in care and Social Services do an assessment to see if you are allowed free NHS funding and they turn down the application then Pauline can successfully appeal that decision on your behalf.  Do not think rejecting your application for funding means that you cannot appeal the decision. In many cases the decision has been found to be incorrect and the funding has been provided by the NHS.

Career History:

Previously employed with Skegness solicitors in their Probate Department before moving back to Bridge McFarland in 2006. Qualified FILEX in 1998. Pauline is based at the firms Skegness office and also spends some of her time at Mablethorpe.

Personal:
Pauline enjoys going to the gym and badminton as well as cooking and reading historical novels.