Elderly man fears losing home after racking up £40,000 care home fees debt

A family fears their father may lose his home after he racked up a £40,000 care home fees debt.

Peter Opomu, 84, accrued the debt mountain after a funding agreement with Liverpool City Council fell through during his three-year stay at Mersey Parks Care Home, which was at the time run by Bupa.

Mr Opomu’s daughter, Magi, told the Liverpool Echo that Bupa had issued a letter via their solicitors warning it could take possession of the home unless at least £30,000 of the debt was paid.

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Ms Opomu said: “It is really stressful. My dad can’t deal with it and it’s fallen on my lap as his Power of Attorney.”

She added she had agreed that Bupa would recoup the debt through the eventual sale of her father’s home. Bupa confirmed to CHP that it had agreed to the arrangement but after two years of no updates from the family, it had advised that it would need to look into other options.

The Bupa spokesperson added the provider was not seeking to force Mr Opomu to sell his home but it had reminded his family of the risk of this in the event of their failure to engage with its request for a settlement.

Bupa said it had been trying to speak to Mr Opomu’s family about payment options for some time and had struggled to get a response.

Ian Southerland, Managing Director for Bupa Care Services in the West, said: “We’ve not started proceedings against the family, nor do we have any intention in doing so. Instead we’re speaking with Ms Opomu to agree a payment plan. There are a number of options available which would not involve selling the home, and we have been clear to Ms Opomu how she can explore these routes.”