Power of attorney for a dementia suffer

[oblio]

My MiL now lives in a nursing home and has been diagnosed with dementia. She is not in any position to make decisions for herself now so my wife needs to set up a PoA for her.

Has anyone been through this? I'm guessing it's a solicitor jobbie but how do you go about finding one who is proficient in doing these things? Or is it a straightforward process so they can all do it?

Lastly is it better to use one near where we live or near where the MiL now resides? Or does it not really matter?

Thanks in advance

[oblio]

Thanks all

I understand my wife cant get an LPA as it's too late: I didn't make that clear in my OP, sorry. I suppose my question would have been better phrased as "What do we do now?" and how easy is it...rather than mention LPA's. Sorry about that.

[oblio]

Once again thanks all.

Where we are now is that Mrs O has opened a separate bank account. When she gets appointed as the appointee for her mothers pension by the DWP (in hand), she can get that pension paid into this new account. The fees for the nursing home will then go out each week, after the pension has gone in. The account will not be used for anything else and there will be a monthly paper statement which will be filed so that all is in order.

In this way there should be no need to access her mother's main bank account at all. The MiL has no costs aside from the nursing home really. If there is a need for a sundries fund, then this can also be set up and be paid to the nursing home as well, out of this new account.

We are hoping that this will obviate the need for the who Court/Protection/Deputyship thing.

[oblio]

Yes the fees are less than her pension. She is allowed to keep a certain amount of her pension albeit a small amount.

Yes, we'll set up a slush fund for her as well but as she is bed ridden and doesn't smoke, it'll not amount to much. After her fees are taken she should have 35 quid a week left, so that'll cover incidentals like Werther's originals etc

Edited by oblio on Tuesday 21st March 07:47

[oblio]

geeman237 said:

alscar said:

oblio said:

Yes the fees are less than her pension. She is allowed to keep a certain amo8int of her pension albeit a small amount.

Yes, we'll set up a slush fund for her as well but as she is bed ridden and doesn't smoke, it'll not amount to much. After her fees are taken she should have 35 quid a week left, so that'll cover incidentals like Werther's originals etc

She either has a huge pension or that’s a low care home cost but either way sounds like you have it covered.
My relatives annual fees have just increased to £60k pa - obviously wouldn’t work but I reckon a long term deal in say a 3 star hotel would be cheaper !

I suspect her savings are below the Gov threshold (<30k ?) and at that point the local authority picks up the tab. There is an adjustment to her state pension whereby a portion of it has to contribute to the care home costs and is paid to the local authority. That leaves a bit of pocket money for the sundry items mentioned.

Yes that's it exactly. She doesn't have much dosh at all so she contributes from her pension as you say.

[oblio]

Myself and my wife took them out (both the finance and the health ones) after my wife suffered a breakdown around 4 years ago. We named each other as the first point of contact and then our son as the second person for both of us. This in the main was inspired by the way my wife's eldest son acted during her illness and we decided that his 'bedside manner' wouldn't be in our best interests if we were ill!