Dementia Friendly Communities

Making a will doesn’t have to be an expensive process and the Government website www.gov.uk/make-will has lots of information. People can write their wills themselves; however, it is a legal document, so it is important to seek specialist legal advice.

If the person with dementia wishes to make a new will, or there is no trace of them having a will, you need to find out whether they have ‘testamentary capacity’ to make a new one.

If there are concerns that the person with dementia lacks capacity to make a new will, a GP can be asked to assess this. If medical opinion is that the person lacks testamentary capacity, then an application can be made to the Court of Protection for a ‘statutory will’. The person making the application does not need to be the deputy or attorney of the person with dementia.

A statutory will is essentially a will that is prepared on behalf of the person with dementia with terms that are believed to be in their best interests. The Court of Protection then considers the will and the wishes and feelings of those people who would otherwise inherit and decides whether to approve the will. This process can be very complex and it is advisable to seek advice from a specialist solicitor to make this type of application in all cases. In many cases, it will be better for all concerned than allowing the person with dementia to die without a will in place.

FURTHER INFORMATION

These are only some of the legal and financial considerations when a person has dementia. There are other considerations if they require formal care or support and how this may be paid for. The Care Choices website, produced by the publisher of this Guide, has more information on finding care and support and associated considerations. Alternatively, Care Choices publishes a range of care and support guides for different regions. Visit www.carechoices.co.uk to see if your region is covered, find out more or to search for care providers in your area.

A dementia friendly community is a city, town or village where people with dementia are understood, respected and supported.

In Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, we are working towards this. These local dementia friendly communities have developed in response to local interest and can link closely to local community groups, organisations and businesses.

They provide an opportunity to network with a range of professionals and local people to share ideas and information and seek advice and support from other members.

OUR AIM

We want a place where people will be aware of and understand dementia, so that people with dementia and their carers can continue to live in the way they want to and in the community they choose.

There are local dementia friendly communities and forums in the following areas – please get in touch with the contacts below if you are interested in joining the community, or becoming a dementia friend or dementia champion.

Area – Blaby District

Who to contact – Samantha Clarke Email: Samantha.Clarke@blaby.gov.uk Tel: 0116 272 7544

Area – Charnwood

Who to contact – Louise Millington Email: louise.millington@charnwood.gov.uk Tel: 01509 634764

Area – Harborough

Who to contact – Peter Hirst Email:

membership@dementiaharborough.org

Tel: 07954 649566

Area – Hinckley and Bosworth

Who to contact – Lindsay Orton Email:

lindsay.orton@hinckley-bosworth.gov.uk

Tel: 01455 255805

Area – Leicester City

Who to contact – Diana Dorozkinaite Email: Diana.Dorozkinaite@leicester.gov.uk Tel: 0116 454 4773

Area – Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

Who to contact – Samantha Clarke Email: Samantha.Clarke@blaby.gov.uk Tel: 0116 272 7754

Area – Oadby and Wigston

Who to contact – Lesley Pickles Email: outreachtmc@outlook.com

LLR DEMENTIA PROGRAMME BOARD

This group meets every three months and manages the local strategic health, social care and community priorities for dementia across the area and oversees the local Living Well with Dementia Strategy that it developed. To enquire about membership and the terms of reference, contact Beverley White by emailing

Beverley.White@leicester.gov.uk

Search for care in your area

www.carechoices.co.uk

With so many providers to choose from, where do you start?

• Find care providers quickly and easily • Search by location and care need • Information on care quality • Links to inspection reports • Additional information, photos and web links • Brochure requests