Sorting out legal affairs

Helping people suffering with dementia to remain in control of situations is an important part of caring.

One way that you can do this is by having them make decisions about their future now. This can give them confidence and make them feel comfortable about what is going to happen to them later on in life. As their carer you can also feel better about the situation as there is now a plan in place that you can follow. 

Home Care financing can be difficult so contact your local authority for any help available.

Talk to the person with dementia about their will. They should make a will or review their existing will to make sure that they are still happy with it and it still reflects their wishes. 

The person with dementia may also want to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney. This allows them to appoint someone they trust to make decision on their behalf. 

There are two types of LPA, one covering health and welfare decisions and the other covering property matters. The health and welfare LPA can only be used when someone has lost the mental capacity to make their own decisions. 

The property and financial LPA can be used immediately if the person with dementia wishes it to be.

This is a lot to think about and care should be taken with LPA to find someone that the person trusts. This person may have to make some big decisions for the person with dementia and so it is vital that they have their best interests in mind.