Who takes care of finances of elderly alzeheimers lady?

Marsh_Samphire

Not sure if this is the right place for this... my Mum has a friend who has had alzheimers for years but the husband always looked after her. They were very proud couple and would not accept any help from GP, social services, meals on wheels etc but they had not made any plans for what would happen to her if he became ill, they have no children and she has no other relations in the UK. For the last six months my Mum and a couple of other friends have been doing all their shopping and cooking for them. Then the husband suddenly died just before Easter after getting pneumonia. The wife has been taken to a psych hospital for 6 weeks observation but my Mum is worried about what will happen to her. All the bank accounts and their house were in joint names. Who sorts out paying their bills, will social services sell their house and put her in a home? At the moment we don't even know how his funeral is going to be organised or paid for. It's a really sad situation. If anyone has any advice I can pass on to my Mum I'd be really grateful. Thanks.

Jays

I'm sorry to hear about your mother's friend, it is a really sad situation.

I'm sure someone with the know-how will be along shortly with lots of advice and answers, but I thing you will find she will have been allocated a Social Worker whilst in hospital who will look into their situation and should act in the wife's best interests.

If you are concerned, you could ask Age Concern or the Citizen Advice Bureau for advice. I'm not sure, but someone maybe able to act as an Advocate for her whilst the NHS and Social Services decide what is the best care package for her, to ensure her interests are put first in all the decision making (this may be your mother, or another friend, or it may have to be someone totally independant). A solicitor maybe able to advise further on this.


Best wishes
Jays

Savvy_Sue

I believe the Court of Protection / Public Guardianship Office will take over her affairs. It is possible that one of her friends could apply to fulfil this role, if they felt able to.

But yes, I am sure a social worker will have been appointed for the short term.

It is a very distressing and difficult situation, especially if the hospital decides to play 'jobsworth' and not want to release any information to friends. But both Age Concern and Help the Aged should have met this situation before. And is there an Alzheimer Society who might also advise?

Poppy9

In my Local Authority we have a section within Social Services for receivership and protection of property.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

It would be entirely appropriate for you mum to approach the hospital the lady is being assessed in, as your mum has been caring for her - a carer doesn't have to be a relative, they can be a friend like your mum. The hospital will welcome any information your mum can give them such as how much caring your mum has done to try and keep things going, and what her assessement of the couple's difficulties is, and will willingly listen to your mum's concerns about who, if anyone, has made arrangements for the funeral etc.
As far as the managment of the lady's affairs is concerned, she may be assessed as not having capacity to manage them and she will be made a ward of the Court of Protection who will appoint a guardian to manage the affairs.
If the lady is assessed as needing residential care because that will be best for her then her house will have to be sold to pay for it, but it's her house and her care so that seems about right doesn't it.
I think under the circumstances social services will probably take steps to track down any relatives, but they may not be successful.
I'm sure it will ease your mum's mind to know that the lady will be properly cared for in the best way possible. Hope this helps - it's a very sad situation, but unfortunately not an uncommon one.

Marsh_Samphire

Thank you for your advice. Although friends have been helping, they are all elderly too and have health problems (my Mum has diabetes & emphysema) so none of them are in a position to take on looking after her finances. The husband has a neice and nephew living nearby but they never helped at all and only turned up 2 days before he died and asked if there was any money in the house - vultures! The lady herself has a brother and a neice in Holland but the brother has wanted nothing to do with her for several years, since the alzheimers started. The neice from Holland came over twice a year and cleaned their house from top to bottom and has been doing her best to help out. But when (sometime before he died) they asked if the neice could be a signatory on his bank account, the bank told them because she did not live in the UK they would not allow it. I will pass the info about social services and guardianship to my Mum and see if she can speak to someone at the hospital to find out what will happen.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Perhaps the most valuable thing your mum can do is to let the ward manager know about the niece and nephew living nearby, with their addresses if possible. As family do exist, they have some responsibility for the lady and although they may wish to decline it they will be given that choice.
Given the presence of family members, the hospital will be grateful for any information you mum can give which will help them to plan the best future for the lady, but it's likely they will probably not tell your mum what they plan at this stage.
Perhaps your mum could visit the lady whilst she's in hospital? She may not recognise/remember her but your mum would see that she's being cared for, and that hospital staff and social workers do care about her, and will do their very best to ensure a comfortable future for her.

jenniferpa

Well the information the niece was given about being a signatory on the account was wrong wrong wrong! I'm a signatory on my Mother's account, and I live in the U.S. It's probably too late for that now, but it is possible. One thing I did find is that SSs want someone local as a contact. However, if you push them on this issue they will admit it's a preference rather than a requirement. You say that no plans had been made to provide care in this situation, but are you certain? If the gentleman was as proud as you say, he quite possibly might not have mentioned it, but that doesn't mean that there aren't instructions somewhere. Obviously your Mother's friend wouldn't know, but I assume that someone has checked with their solicitor, or gone through their records to ascertain what's what. I know this sounds grossly intrusive, and obviously the niece would be the best person to do this, but sometimes such things get overlooked.

Jennifer

Marsh_Samphire

Thank you again for your replies and advice. The niece and nephew who live locally are the husband's relations and have made it clear they want nothing to do with sorting out what happens to the wife. They were discussing who would get what furniture as if she didn't exist. We are fairly sure there were no plans made, their old will was so old that the copy they had was on carbon paper and we haven't been able to find the solicitor who made it yet! We have found the deeds to the family cemetary plot where his brother is buried but we have got no further with arranging a funeral because nobody knows how/when it will be paid for. My Mum is going to phone the hospital next week. Thanks again for all your advice.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

You're very welcome. Just a couple of things. There is an estate so probate will have to be sorted out by the executors, the will should say who they are. If they are untraceable then it may all be handled by the Court of Protection.
Don't make any funeral arrangements unless you are prepared to pay for it. Funeral Directors will bill those who arrange the funeral and expect to be paid PDQ. The same applies to any other bills.
It sounds like your mum still has a key to the house? If so, I'd like to suggest she sends it by recorded delivery to the hospital the lady is in. Sometimes relatives can be convinced something was in a house and is now missing, and nasty situations can develop. It looks like the lady will be better off without her niece and nephew, so don't worry about their lack of interest but make sure they don't become very interested in what your mum has been up to in the house whilst she has had access.
Tell your mum not to worry about how the lady feels about all this, it's very likely she won't understand too well what's going on and may care even less.
Hope this helps a bit more.

Marsh_Samphire

Thanks Dora, Mum has already given her key to the solicitor. She went to visit her friend in hospital over the weekend and she seems to be settling in quite well. Although she has forgotten that her husband died and says he has run off with another woman! It's really sad after all he did to look after her for years since she became ill, but we know it's the alzheimer's saying it not her.