What next?

[mrscook1986]

Hi all. Newbie here.
My mum is 68 and diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia a week ago. She lives on her own in her bungalow thats mortgage free and currently still able to live independently with a few reminders here and there.
My main question is what do i need to do next? Ive informed DVLA as per the consultants request and applied for her attendance allowance but do i need to inform DWP, life insurance, car insurance, banks, utilities etc? Do these stay in her name?
Myself and my sister have LPA already from 2019 and have requested the activation key but what exactly do i need to do with it?!! Im totally lost.

 

[Violet Jane]

You need to inform the car insurers of the diagnosis. I don't know about informing anyone else.

Has your mother made a will? If not, then now is the time to do it.

People with dementia can be eligible for a Council Tax discount. Each local authority has slightly different rules. Some people are entitled to Pension Credit. A CAB or money advice centre would be able to check what your mother is entitled to.

I'm not sure what an activation key is. Normally, you produce the POA for property and financial affairs to the bank in order to be able to operate the account. They then produce new cards in the name(s) of the attorney(s). Some financial POAs allow the attorneys to act before the donor has lost legal capacity but others only allow the attorneys to act once capacity has been lost. I recollect that the gov.uk website has a useful section on powers of attorney. If your mother isn't at risk of being defrauded and can still manage her money and most things are paid by direct debit or standing order you could just help her with her finances if she's amenable.

If your mother struggles with taking medication then she can get a Dossett box through the GP.

 

[SAP]

The following info should be useful.

The Office of Public Guardian have extended their scheme to obtain an online summary of the LPA for those registered after the 1st January 2016.
To use the LPA online service go to www.gov.uk/use-lpa Once you have created an account by simply entering your email address and an 8 character password of your choice, you will be asked to insert the LPA reference and an “Activation Key”

For LPAs registered on or after 17th July 2020 the Activation Key will appear on the LPA documentation.

For all LPAs registered after 1st January 2016 an activation key can be requested by selecting the option to add an LPA to your account then select "No, I do not have an activation key". After completing your address details the activation key will then be posted to you.

Any problems contact OPG on 0300 456 0300 or email cusomerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk.

Now is a good time to talk with your mum about her banking and bills. If the POA has been enacted, you can register it with the bank/ building societies so that you can support your mum with things like paying bills , moving money etc.
You can also register the POA with the utility companies so that you can speak on her behalf , for example if she needs to change her insurance or energy supplier.
You don’t need to let the DWP know unless your mum goes into hospital for more that 28 days as this is the cut off point for Attendance Allowance to be continued. ( always worth letting them know in advance to prevent the need to pay back any funds) The same applies to going into care , you need to let them know the change of address and discuss whether she will keep her payments or not. If you did the AA application using the LPA to apply in her behalf, it should show up as already being registered with them.

 

[nitram]

It's a good idea to register the power with house insurer and utilities before she looses capacity so you can speak on her behalf on any problems or queries.

 

[Sarasa]

Welcome to Dementia Support Forum @mrscook1986. My brother and I registered that we had LPA with mum's banks even though at the time she was able to manage her finances quite well. It meant we could keep an eye open for any problems and gradually take over as things progressed.
I'm not sure if its available in your area but Age UK's Help at Home service might be worth investigating. They don't do things like personal care, but they will help with housework, or taking your mum shopping or for a coffee. That will get her used to having people around as things progress and she needs more help.