Getting old is a part of life. While no one likes ageing
there is no point in hiding your head in the sand; by dealing with the issue
and making the appropriate preparations you can improve both your life and the
life of the ones that you love. Here are some ways that a solicitor can help
you or your family members when you become elderly:
What happens when I
am no longer able to make my own decisions?
There are many reasons to do with age that might leave you
unable to make decisions regarding your life or the financial assets that you
own. For situations like this, a solicitor can help you with the appointment of
a Lasting Power of Attorney that allows you to choose someone to look after
your affairs. This differs from a Power of Attorney as you are picking someone
to be your Power of Attorney if you lose the ability to make decisions yourself
in the future.
What happens if I
have to live in a care home?
If you need a higher level of care, you and your family
might think that the best way for you to live is to move into a care home. If
this is the case then it doesn’t neccessrily mean that you have to give Power
of Attorney to someone. The majority of care home funding is mean tested with
the receiver of care having to pay anything over a certain threshold. When
choosing a Lasting Power of Attorney you are given the option of how you want
your care to be funded, be it with selling any property or borrowing money
against its value from social services. In this, a solicitor can help you make
these vital decisions and explore all available options for care financing.
How can I protect
myself against financial abuse?
Financial fraud is often perpetrated against vulnerable
elderly people and it can be difficult to prevent as the perpetrator is often a
family member. The elderly person also might feel ashamed or afraid of not
being taken seriously. Thankfully, the government has taken steps in the form
of the 2015 Care Act to help prevent this. This act provides strict guidelines
when someone is helping you manage your money and applies to anyone. A
qualified solicitor can help you apply these guidelines as well as providing
aid with a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Hawley And Rogers
Hawley
& Rodgers
consider it our mission to offer unbeatable
legal advice for a large range of law matters, including family, children,
wills, probate, commercial law and property. We are solicitors that have helped
the local community decades and have built up a vast body of skill and
expertise to help you in any situation involving the law. If you are from
Nottinghamshire and require qualified legal help then contact us today. You can
email us via enquiries@hawleyandrodgers.com or telephone one of our Hawley and
Rogers’ local offices
in Nottingham, Loughborough, Bingham, Stapleford and Long
Eaton.
