Relative won't make POA

Germanshepherdsmum

Well if you’re looking for horror stories, there are plenty of people stealing money from old people with dementia who have nobody to look after their finances. Just this week our local paper reported the jailing of two people who had done this in sleepy Norfolk. They had gained the people’s trust and taken a lot of money over a period. Entirely unconnected cases. It also happened to the mother of a client of mine years ago; the family had trusted the ‘caring’ person concerned.

GSM Did you see the one this week in Norfolk where a support worker stole £63,000 from a person living in a residential home who had lived there since he was 7 years old.
Absolutely disgusting and I think he got about 18 months.

Well if you’re looking for horror stories, there are plenty of people stealing money from old people with dementia who have nobody to look after their finances. Just this week our local paper reported the jailing of two people who had done this in sleepy Norfolk. They had gained the people’s trust and taken a lot of money over a period. Entirely unconnected cases. It also happened to the mother of a client of mine years ago; the family had trusted the ‘caring’ person concerned.

Sorry, posted in wrong place - blond moment!

Thanks for all replies. I was looking fo horror stories about people who did not set a POA up. It's an ongoing situation. Hoping to convince her to do it before too late.

We did mine online Shinamae and yes it did take quite a few months about 4 I think

BBnan it’s not really appropriate to ask a totally different question in the middle of someone else thread
Why not start your own thread asking your question ?

I still haven’t done mine, keep meaning to do it, but then put it off
Is it easy to do online ?

The POA is quick to set up and is valid from the moment the person completes it if they have the mental capacity, but it has to be registered before it can be used and it’s the registration process which is taking time.

Just to say that anyone thinking of doing POAs for themselves or others should be aware that they are taking ages! We sent in our applications mid-April and they won't be registered until mid-August!

This post has been deleted by GNHQ as it was posted in the wrong place.

You might tell her, OP, that if she doesn’t allow her family to have P of A, then if it’s needed later for whatever reason, social services will take control. Some older people are very wary of having SS poking their noses into their affairs (as they see it) so that might just help.

Dementia doesn’t necessarily mean a POA is out of the question, but the person must understand at the time what it means.
Unfortunately dementia can make people very suspicious of other people’s motives. My mother had put an old style P of A in place years before it was needed, but once we really needed to activate it, she thought we just wanted to steal her money.

My brother just had to get tough - a cheque for a substantial sum of money had already gone missing - and been cashed, by heaven knows whom.

AFAIK relatives can apply to the Court of Protection for the management of someone’s affairs, but I believe it’s more expensive and takes a lot longer to set up.

You only mention possible onset of dementia so she might still be able to do POA if that’s what she wants.

You say she has no money worries so if she is self funding social services should still find her a good home that suits her needs. Even so, not everybody ends their days in a care home.

It may not be dementia, her neighbour might just be assuming that and she could have a water infection that causing her to be muddled and forgetful.

If it were me I would encourage her to get checked out before you expect her to make any decisions.

If she won’t grant POA - and if she has dementia it may be too late - which means an application to the Court of Protection for deputyship if she becomes incapable of managing her affairs. Her sister sounds too old to take this on. Ultimately if she needs to go into a home social services will be involved and there will be little or no choice of home - if necessary the local authority will apply for deputyship in order to pay her fees, which may involve selling her home.