Essential information Finding care in your area Looking for care in your area? Want to know the quality rating of providers you’re considering? Care Choices, publisher of this Directory, has a website providing comprehensive details of care providers as well as essential information. You can search by postcode, county or region for care homes, care homes with nursing and home care providers that meet your needs across the country. Your search can be refined by care type and the results can be emailed to you.
The results can also be saved and emailed to others. The website includes detailed information for each care provider, including the address, phone number and the service’s latest CQC inspection report and rating (see page 39), indicating the quality of care provided. You can also view an electronic version of this Directory on the site and have it read to you by using the ‘Recite Me’ function. Visit: www.carechoices.co.uk
How solicitors can help A solicitor can give you impartial advice about wills, making gifts, estate planning and powers of attorney. Some can also offer guidance on immediate and long-term care plans, making sure (if applicable) the NHS has made the correct contribution to your fees. Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs) allow you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions about your personal welfare, including healthcare and consent to medical treatment, and/or your property and financial affairs. An LPA is only valid once it is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. It allows for a person of your choice to make decisions on your behalf at a time when you may be unable to. The Court of Protection can issue Orders directing the management of a person’s property and financial affairs if they are incapable of managing their own affairs, if they do not have an LPA. The Court procedure is presently very slow, and the fees are quite expensive so preparing an LPA is always advisable, providing you have somebody sufficiently trustworthy to appoint as your attorney.
want to receive in specified circumstances, which would legally have to be followed, even if you die as a result. Any proposed gift out of your estate needs careful consideration of the benefits, risks and implications, particularly on any future liability for care costs or tax liability. If you don’t have your own solicitor, ask your family or friends for their recommendations. Contact several firms, explain your situation and ask for an estimate of cost and an idea of timescales involved. Many firms will make home visits if necessary and will adapt their communications to meet your needs. It’s important to find a solicitor who specialises in this area of the law. Citizens Advice should be able to recommend solicitors in your area. Visit: www.citizensadvice.org.uk The Law Society has a list of solicitors who specialise in working with older people. Visit: www.lawsociety.org.uk for more details.
An ‘advance directive’ allows you to communicate your wishes about future medical treatment, but it is not legally binding. You may instead wish to make a living will, officially known as an ‘advance decision’, setting out treatment that you do not
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