Admin Arrangements
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Whilst the details of some of the arrangements below apply specifically to the UK, there may be similar schemes in other countries. Some of the arrangements apply to any country.
Benefits and Council Tax / Rates (UK)
This section applies to the UK, but there may be similar schemes elsewhere.
Legal Disclaimer: information is given here as a 'food for thought' starting point, with directions to national and local government websites - it is not advice, and it's your responsibility to ensure you obtain the correct and up-to-date information for your particular circumstances.
Attendance Allowance (UK)
Anyone with a disability, including dementia, is usually entitled to a benefit that contributes towards the costs of help with personal care or of supervision.
There are certain criteria, as shown in the links below, and the person must have had the need for at least 6 months before the benefit starts - but note that payments can't be backdated (beyond when you asked for the form), so don't delay starting your application. This benefit isn't means-tested (i.e. your savings and income don't matter), and it isn't taxable.
For more information see the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'disability and mobility benefits'. There's also advice on filling in the form on the Age UK website, under 'attendance allowance'. Finally, there's official information on the government's website, under 'attendance allowance'.
Carer's Allowance (UK)
If you spend at least 35 hours a week looking after or supervising someone who receives Attendance Allowance then you're usually entitled to Carer's Allowance.
For more information see the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'carer's allowance' or the Age UK website, under 'carer's allowance'. Finally, there's official information on the government's website, under 'carer's allowance'.
Carer's Credit (UK)
If you spend at least 20 hours a week caring for someone then you're usually entitled to Carer's Credit, which is a credit on your National Insurance contributions record.
You get this automatically if you're receiving Carer's Allowance. For more information see the government's website, under 'carer's credit'.
Council Tax (GB)
There are potentially discounts for your loved one's property, and for your property if you're away looking after your loved one.
In GB, a person with dementia shouldn't be counted in the number of adults living at a property for Council Tax purposes. That means if there's only one other adult without dementia then a 25% reduction in Council Tax applies, and if there's no other adult without dementia then no Council Tax is payable. You'll need to apply to the Council for the discount.
You can also ask the Council for a retrospective repayment of anything you've overpaid in the past, from the time the property became eligible for the discount.
There's also a discount potentially available for your own property if you're away looking after someone with dementia. However, you'd need to consider, and discuss with the Councils, whether you'd be counted for Council Tax at your loved one's home instead, and also, if your own home is then classed as empty, whether after two years you'd be charged even higher Council Tax.
Also see the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'council tax', and your local Council's website.
Rates (NI)
In Northern Ireland, rates are reduced only if the property has specific adaptations for disability - see the NI government website, for 'disabled person's allowance'.
Flexible working (UK)
In the UK, carers are entitled to request flexible working. For more information see the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'flexible working'. There's also official information on the government's website, under 'flexible working'.
Power of Attorney
Legal Disclaimer: information is given here as a 'food for thought' starting point, with directions to national authority websites - it is not legal advice and it's your responsibility to ensure you obtain the correct and up-to-date information for your particular circumstances.
A power of attorney is a legal document that gives certain specified powers to one or more other people to act on someone's behalf. Depending on the country, the powers may relate to financial matters, health and welfare, or both. The document must be signed by the person while they're sufficiently mentally competent (although this doesn't necessarily preclude early stages of dementia if it's assessed that they're still capable of understanding the powers being given - you should seek advice). Usually it doesn't need to be registered until it needs to be used - but consider the time it takes to get it registered, and the fact that registering it means that any mistakes will be found before the person's lost the ability to make another, versus the registration fee.
In the absence of a power of attorney, no-one - not even the person's spouse - has the automatic right to act on their behalf (in the UK). For this reason it's important to plan ahead, for all your loved ones. We also cover the absence of a power of attorney below.
Whilst the rest of this section applies to the UK, there are likely to be similar schemes elsewhere. The general principles are the same between England / Wales; Scotland; and Northern Ireland, but there are differences as noted further below.
In the absence of a power of attorney
If someone becomes mentally incapable of managing their own affairs without having assigned power of attorney, then you have to apply to the Court to be appointed to act on their behalf (even if you're their spouse). This is a more difficult and expensive process than is the case when there's a power of attorney, and one that means you'll have to submit periodical reports to the Court detailing the actions you've taken on the person's behalf. For details see our subsection on variations across the UK (below).
Tailoring the powers
The power of attorney can be tailored as much as you like in terms of what the powers allow and under what circumstances they apply. Also, the powers can apply while the person is still mentally able (for example if they want someone to be able to go to the bank on their behalf because they have mobility problems or are in hospital) or only after they've become mentally incapable of managing their own affairs (for example as dementia develops). Unless you specify that it applies only when mentally incapable then it applies before this too.
A power of attorney can apply to financial matters only, to health and welfare matters only (not in Northern Ireland), or to both (not in NI). It is different from a Will, and ends when the person dies (obviously the person may wish to consider making a Will as well).
Solicitor not generally needed, except for certified copies
You don't need a solicitor to make a power of attorney, although it may be best to consult a doctor and/or a solicitor if there's a question around whether the person is still sufficiently mentally able to understand the powers they're assigning, the circumstances in which those powers would apply, and the options they have to tailor these. If their ability to make these decisions is unquestionable then rather than use a solicitor they may wish to study the advice available from the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'attorney', from the Age UK website, under 'power of attorney', and from the website of the authority for your country (see below).
If you do use a solicitor to prepare the document then you may prefer to keep the document somewhere safe yourself, so that you can register it yourself (see the next subsection).
We do, however, strongly recommend having at least one or two certified copies made in case the original's lost (for example in the post when registering it) - this is inexpensive and can be done regardless of whether or not a solicitor created the original. We suggest you keep a certified copy of a power of attorney for health and welfare in your hospital bag in case you have to take your loved one to hospital.
Registering the power of attorney
It's a simple process to register a power of attorney yourself, whether or not you used a solicitor to draw it up.
As noted in the previous subsection, we strongly recommend having certified copies made before you post the original to register it (and in fact as soon as it's made), in case it's lost.
The power of attorney doesn't need to be registered with the appropriate national authority until it needs to be used. However, there are reasons you may wish to register it straight away - it may take two months to get it registered when needed, and during registration any mistakes would be found before the person's lost the ability to make a corrected power of attorney. Balanced against that is the registration fee.
Variations across the UK
For powers of attorney that apply after the person's become incapable of managing their own affairs, and for asking for corresponding powers in the absence of such a document, the remaining details vary slightly according to which part of the UK you're in, so see the relevant section below.
England and Wales
Powers of attorney created after 1 October 2007 are called 'Lasting Power of Attorney', and can apply to 'Property and Affairs' (financial matters) or 'Health and Welfare', or you can have both. Powers of attorney created before that date are called 'Enduring Power of Attorney' and apply only to financial matters - but they're still valid, even if the person didn't become incapacitated until after the above date.
The person giving the powers is called the 'donor', and the person(s) receiving the powers to act on the donor's behalf is called their 'attorney'.
If a power of attorney hasn't been made before the person became incapacitated then you need to apply to become their 'deputy' - see the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'deputyship'.
After someone has become incapacitated, an application to register a power of attorney or to become the person's deputy must be made to the Office of the Public Guardian - see the government's website for the Office of the Public Guardian.
Scotland
Powers of attorney are called 'Continuing Power of Attorney' for financial matters, 'Welfare Power of Attorney' for health and welfare matters, or 'Combined Power of Attorney' for both.
The person giving the powers is called the 'granter', and the person(s) receiving the powers to act on the granter's behalf is called their 'attorney'.
If a power of attorney hasn't been made before the person became incapacitated then to have full powers to act on their behalf you need to apply to become their 'guardian' - see the government's website for the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland), under the power of attorney menu. Alternatively, there are more limited options called 'Access to Funds' for paying utility bills etc, or an 'Intervention Order' for making a single specific decision, such as selling a house.
After someone has become incapacitated, an application to register a power of attorney or to act on their behalf in the absence of one must be made to the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland) - see the government's website for the Office of the Public Guardian (Scotland), under the power of attorney menu.
Northern Ireland
Powers of attorney are called 'Enduring Power of Attorney' and apply only to financial matters.
The person giving the powers is called the 'donor', and the person(s) receiving the powers to act on the donor's behalf is called their 'attorney'.
If a power of attorney hasn't been made before the person became incapacitated then you need to apply to become their 'controller' - see the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'controllership'.
After someone has become incapacitated, an application to register a power of attorney or to become the person's controller must be made to the Office of Care and Protection - see the government's website for the Office of Care and Protection.
More information on powers of attorney in Northern Ireland is available from the Alzheimer's Society website, under 'enduring power', and from the NI government website, under 'enduring power of attorney'.
Resuscitation and treatment plans
There are various different types of resuscitation and treatment plans, made in advance to direct what emergency (or other) treatment should be provided under certain circumstances. Some of these are completed by a doctor in consultation with the patient (or the loved ones of someone with dementia), and some are completed by the patient to express their wishes.
It's a good idea to create at least an informal plan regarding treatment and care in general, and you may also wish to consider creating a legally-binding plan regarding resuscitation and other life-sustaining treatment. See our section on resuscitation and treatment plans for more information.
Arrangements for pets' futures
When a pet owner goes into a care home or passes away, if a family member can't take them then there are likely to be organisations that can re-home them. However, these organisations may require or prefer the pet to be registered with them beforehand, and we would suggest doing this as soon as possible. See our section on pets.
Accounts
It's wise for someone who has dementia to the extent that they can't deal with banking not to have bank cards or account details lying around that they could be asked to read out to a fraudulent caller.
You may be able to arrange to receive email and/or text alerts from your loved one's bank when large amounts are taken out, to reduce the risk of scams going undetected. Note, however, that alerts may arrive a day or two late, and also that you'll need to see statements to pick up small amounts being taken repeatedly.
It's a lot easier to make sure all utility bills and council tax etc are paid automatically by Direct Debit (and this avoids the risk of utilities being cut off because a bill's been missed). Online billing makes it easier to keep track of things, but if you use postal billing then you may be able to get copies of the bills sent to you, rather than the service address. If you don't pay home insurance by Direct Debit because you want to shop around each year, then make a note of when it needs renewing.
Medical records
Keep a list of medications and the changes to them over time, hospital visits etc and 'health events', and of course future appointments. It can also be useful to keep a diary of how your loved one is, so you can review changes over time.
For more information see our section on keeping a record of prescriptions and changes.
Miscellaneous admin arrangements
If you're unable to put out your dustbin, contact your local Council to arrange an "assisted collection" whereby they collect it from a visible location, empty it and return it.
Particularly if you use wheelchair taxis to make travelling out easier, keep the numbers of several suitable taxi companies on your phone.
Consider putting your contact details on your loved one's key ring etc, and on a cat's or dog's collar, in case they're lost.
For details of how to register to avoid junk mail and phone calls (and details of call blocking devices), see our section on post and telephone safety.
In the UK, see our note on buying certain products VAT free.