It is never too early to plan for the future. As a carer, you and the person that you care for may wish to consider what will happen in the future. It may be worth discussing now and putting plans in place for any possibilities. Making these plans now can help ease difficult situations later and ensure that the person that you care for can make known any wishes that they may have.
Lasting Power of Attorney
If you are a carer you may want to consider talking with the person you care for about obtaining a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). An LPA is a legal document that allows the person you care for to appoint someone (over the age of 18) that they trust to make decisions on their behalf when they no longer wish to or lack the mental capacity to do so.
There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney:
- Property and Financial Affairs – gives you the power to make decisions about your loved one’s finances and property. This could include managing a bank or building society account, paying bills, collecting benefits or a pension or selling your home.
- Health and Welfare – gives you the power to make decisions about things like medical care, moving into a care home or refusing or consenting to treatment.
The Citizens Advice website has a useful page on managing affairs for someone else. You can also download a Lasting Power of Attorney form on the governments’ website.
Making a will
You and the person that you care for should consider making a will.
A will ensures that your wishes will be met after you die; your savings and possessions (your estate) go to the people and causes that you care about; it avoids disputes between relatives; and protects your assets for future generations.
A will can also be a way to let people know whether you would prefer to be buried or cremated, and the type of funeral service and music you would like.
Citizens Advice have more information on making a will. It is also worth noting that each October, is Free Wills Month – bringing together a group of well-respected charities to offer people aged 55 and over the opportunity to have their simple wills written or updated free of charge by using participating solicitors in locations across England.
For parent carers, Mencap has a useful page on making wills.
Dorothy House Peace of Mind Planner
Our lives are scattered with paperwork and digital records, making them difficult for others to access. In addition, most of these are not kept in the same place, never mind being in some sort of order that makes them easily available to others when they need them.
Dorothy House’s Peace of Mind Planner is deliberately designed to help record and easily access important life information. It offers the ability to write down things like the spiritual or cultural beliefs someone holds, where their will is kept, who will look after any children and/or pets, who their gas supplier is, any wishes for their funeral etc. It also includes a section that lists where all important documents are stored and what any final wishes would be.
Access the planner here: https://www.dorothyhouse.org.uk/news/dorothy-houses-peace-of-mind-planner/
Advocacy
Advocacy might be helpful if you feel that you, or the person you are caring for, need some support to help you to speak up. If you are unable to speak for yourself, they can speak on your behalf to help you get what you are entitled to. Advocates are neutral and independent and what you say to them is confidential. They will work directly with you to help you have your say and deal with difficult issues.
If you or the person you are caring for is asking for or using a service provided by social care, you may find that it is not always easy to express your wishes or preferences. If decisions are being made that affect your future, an advocate can speak up for you in these situations or help you to put across your point of view.
