What do I do about Insurance.

[Clive]

I would appreciate some information about what people on TP have done about insurance when their loved ones have gone into a Nursing Home suffering from Alzheimer’s. Mum always used to have plenty of insurance (because her late husband had always insisted on being well covered.). Having Enduring Power of Attorney I am clear I must keeping the Buildings insurance fully paid up until eventually the house has been sold but I am not sure about the contents insurance. The few “valuable” items have been removed for safe keeping leaving just a few thirty year old bits of furniture, and the old washing machine and cooker etc. which will either go to a charity or be sent to the tip. Is there any point in renewing the contents insurance or would this just be money down the drain?

Also Dad had legal expenses insurance because he always feared having to pay a solicitor for some never defined reason. Now mum is in the Nursing Home (and Dad is dead) does anyone know of any reason why a person in a Nursing Home would want Legal Insurance, especially as they would have no way of activating any claim themselves.

Any advice would be welcome as, like many carers, I seem to have great difficulty concentrating on things.

Thanks

Clive

 

[Natashalou]

shop around

for insurance, a number of companies give free contents insurance when you take out a buildings policy...I thought it was a bit of a scam but found it actually did work out cheaper, seemed to be a genuine offer.

 

[jenniferpa]

Hopefully Sue, our resident legal eagle will see this post and give you some advice. However, my first inclination would be not to let the legal insurance drop: (although don't you often get that with the building insurance, so are you double insured?) because I can see a situation where your mother as the owner of the property could get sued for something that happened on the property. Although, as I said, coverage for that might already be included in one of the other policies. If the house is empty, I am also wondering if the contents insurance would pay up, or come to think of it the building insurance, if there was, for example a fire. Have you told the insurance companies that the property is vacant?

Jennifer

 

[sue38]

Hi Clive,

I think Jennifer may be exaggerating my knowledge of all things legal . I hold my hands up and say Insurance law is NOT my speciality.

I would however say two things.

Firstly, a client and friend of ours lives in her own home despite having advanced Parkinson's Disease. She has no family in this country and chooses to spend her money having carers care for her in her own home. One of the carers' boyfriend visited the house one night,via the back door, and tripped over the ramp built for our friend's wheelchair and is now attempting to sue our friend As our friend is a former solicitor and partner of the firm (as well as being my sister's godmother) we are of course happy to deal with this for her at no expense. But you do owe a duty of care, even to tresspassers, not to come to harm on your property. If the expense is not too great, I would keep on the legal expenses insurance.

Secondly, with regard to contents insurance, one of my employees has just had a fire in her house which has meant that the whole of the contents is ruined and she has had to have the whole house gutted, redcorated, new walls etc. Much of what you might have expected to be covered by the buildings insurance was in fact under contents insurance. She discovered that she was woefully under insured.

You do need to tell the Insurance Company that the house is unoccupied. There are companies who specialise in insuring unoccupied properties, but the cover they offer is limited.

Sue

 

[Nell]

When Mum and Dad moved into their NH we took out Contents Insurance for them. Actually, we simply requested a variation on the one they already had operating while living at home. We substantially reduced the insured amount, because like you, most of the "valuable" things were not going into the home. In fact our insurance company doesn't usually insure for such a low figure (about ten thousand pounds in your UK money I think) but we were lucky to find a really helpful person who was prepared to do it for us.

I don't really know when or even if we could use it, but the premiums were low and it seemed the "right" thing to do. Not very good advice, sorry!! Nell

 

[Clive]

Hi All

Thanks for your instant responses. You have made me realise this is a subject I have to give some attention to.

Clive