Bank account for elderly person

IssyG

My 83 year old sister has Parkinsons - a shaky hand - and is severely disabled in that she doesn't move from one place without carers help. I have been trying to find her a bank account, and a savings account, which she can handle. Basically, we want regular paper statements and an absence of One Time Codes because they are beyond her abilities. She could deal with an automated telephone call to which she could answer yes or no, or at a stretch insert numbers on her mobile, but that's it.

She is at present with Cahoot but there is no alternative to the OTCs.

I'm struggling. She lives some distance away, so I need to set something up she can deal with herself. She is pretty sharp. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Thanks

grumbler

First Direct and HSBC offer fobs for generating codes - pretty simple to use. However, their alternative - mobile app - is absolutely unusable for elderly people. 

[Deleted User]

All the providers are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. 

They will be able to provide things like large card readers or security token generators. 

marlot

I almost didn't mention it, as Starling don't meet your other requirements, but their connected card looks interesting for people in your sister's position.  A great (safe) way of letting someone pick up shopping etc.

https://www.starlingbank.com/features/connected-shopping-card/

elsien

Has your sister arranged an LPA for when it’s needed? 

If not, then now would be a good time to do so. I know it’s not what you asked but having had a relative with Parkinson’s there were times when it was essential. 

sheramber

What about telephone banking with voice recognition?

Marmaduke123

grumbler said:

First Direct and HSBC offer fobs for generating codes - pretty simple to use. However, their alternative - mobile app - is absolutely unusable for elderly people. 

Here we go again! Should read "unusable for some elderly and/or disabled people". Please don't assume all elderly people are either physically or mentally impaired, or both! 

Olinda99

Paper statements are available with lots of banks.

Could you explain the circumstances under which your sister is asked for one time codes - is it for internet shopping ? What prevents her from entering OTC - is it keyboard size on the phone or something else.

Please give as much detail as you can about the difficulties she faces x

IssyG

Thank you for all your suggestions. Olinda99, thanks. She would like to be able to do her own grocery delivery from Tesco - at present I am doing it for her and paying which she will reimburse me for at some point, and it is unweildly. Her bank will send through the OTC when she gets to the payment part. Her phone is a flip top and I am trying to set her up with something that she can handle more easily - going tomorrow in fact - but I fear that modern technology may be too much for her. I have explained again and again how the OTC works but she simply can't grasp it.

I have set up her Tesco's account so that her password etc is saved and she can take her time to select her purchases - I have actually been into Tesco's and explained how they are to be delivered and where placed and with their help that at least goes smoothly.

She would however like to make purchases on Amazon and eBay, and I have set up easily opened accounts there. I'm aware that Amazon have the absolute minimum of input regarding ordering, but at least to start with, for a while an OTC is likely to be needed. 

Whilst I can access her online Cahoot account when I visit, she cannot work out what digits of her passwords and passcodes need to go where. A paper statement is essential for her and also easy to handle telephone banking, like telephone authentication codes, anything voice recognition based would work.

She does understand a lot, but after a year in hospitals and nursing homes she has come out to find that technology has moved on in a way that she doesn't understand.

I really do not want to go the way of a LPA. At the moment I keep a record of every financial action I take for her and keep her eldest daughter - who she is not on good terms with - appraised at every step, as I do not relish any come back over anything done. This daughter is more keeping in the background with all this. I would mention that up until recently her younger daughter had control of her debit card and used it to her own ends to the tune of £6000 over 6 months. That's another situation we are dealing with and how I came to be involved. But it is moving forward on the banking front that I need advice with at the moment.

I have spoken to HSBC but unfortunately they were unhelpful. I will certainly give First Direct a ring though, thankyou, grumbler. I will also investigate Sterling's card, thankyou Marlot.

Thanks for reading all this. 

pafpcg

grumbler said:

First Direct and HSBC offer fobs for generating codes - pretty simple to use. However, their alternative - mobile app - is absolutely unusable for elderly people. 

I'd agree that the standard HSBC Physical Secure Key, which is what HSBC & First Direct call their device, is difficult to use by anybody!  So ask, nay demand!, the Physical Secure Key* which is designed for customers with disabilities: it's much bigger, about the size of a desktop calculator with big easy-to-press keys and a decent display; it even does audio prompts telling you which keys to press.  My partner has arthritis in her hands and can only use a device like this.  I rang both HSBC & First Direct (and M&S when they were in the current account business) and got the secure keys for all our accounts.  Look here for First Direct's options: https://www1.firstdirect.com/help/secure-key/

* The Physical Secure Key supplied by HSBC Group banks for disabled people is a Digipass 302CV

elsien

I appreciate that you may not wish the responsibility of being her LPA. But someone does need to have a discussion with her about the future and what it may hold - her cognition may decline as her Parkinson's progresses. If there is nothing in place and she does lose the capacity to manage her own finances, then the only recourse is a deputyship which can take months with no-one being able to access the person's money for them in the interim.
It doesn't mean taking responsibility away from her - she can still do everything she does now for as long as she is able and wants to do so - if  she chooses not to act that is her decision to make. And it doesn't have to be a family member  - she could ask a solicitor to act for her. But I've seen too many people in hospital and care homes with no legal means of accessing their money to not raise it as something for her to consider.