Carer/home help query

[bluecat51]

Does anyone have any information that I could pass on to some friends. 

The situation is that the husband is currently receiving convalescence

care following a major operation which will result in him and his wife

needing some kind of carer assistance/home help; he is in his 80's and

she is of a similar age (I think) but still very active.  However, she

cannot cope with the garden and with the care that her husband will need

once he is home, the amount of time she will have to carry out day to

day domestic functions will be greatly reduced.  They have been in

France for many, many years and receive what they are entitled to from

the government but have never taken out French citizenship so not sure

if they would be entitled to home or carer help.  I've suggested she

contacts the local ADMR - language skills are not a problem.

The other point is that their son is currently staying with them; he's a

British national but has lived in the USA for about 30 years.  Having

paid NI in the past, we are wondering if he would be entitled to a:

becoming a carer and b: he has no medical cover here so we are also

wondering if he would be entitled to an EH1C.  Have suggested he

contacts the necessary departments in the UK about this but if anyone has had this kind of experience,

we would appreciate any comments.

Many thanks

[cooperlola]

Your friends should be entitled to the same care/social security support as a French national.  They do not need to be French citizens, per se, just citizens of Europe who have lived legally in France for over five years.  They should certainly contact their local social security department.

Their son would not be entitled to any healthcare cover until he reaches UK state retirement age, and then only if he has the relevant NI contributions record.  To know that he would have to contact the UK pensions service.  To live here until then he would need a job or private health cover.  Now, he may be able to be employed as a carer for his parents if their income or circumstances would cover that, but how that would work is well outside my own knowledge base.  After five years of employment, he would enjoy the same rights as French citizen.

The EHIC is not relevant in this case as it is for holiday cover or planned treatment abroad which has been sanctioned by the holder's competent state (plus some other cases not on point here).  Even if he's entitled to one he cannot use it for day-to-day healthcare in the country he lives in.