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Happy to talk about funerals…but not about care

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2,750+ reviews
Posted on 18th January 2012.

There is a good chance that you have started to plan for your funeral; half of British adults have. Whether it is the location, the flowers, the music, the invitation list, it seems that the British have no problem whatsoever thinking about how their passing will be marked.

It’s strange then, that this level of consideration is not given to how we will enjoy our life as older people – just over a quarter of adults say that they have given thought to how they will be cared for in later life.

Actually it’s not that much of a surprise, of the hundreds of enquiries that Helping Hands receives each month for live-in care, the vast majority are urgent enquiries from families with an immediate needs. The lack of preplanning means that they are thrown into the long term care maze head on – grasping to understand their funding options whilst balancing the care home or home care debate, exhausted by the guilt which comes with such a family crisis.

It needn’t be like that. Here are three simple questions which will help you plan either your, or your loved one’s, care requirements:

1. Where do you want to receive care?

At home or in a residential setting? Consider what it is that’s most important to you.

2. Who will be involved?

Are you relying on family members to make key decisions for you if you can’t or to provide the care themselves? If looking at formal carers / providers what kind of person would you be looking for? Consider what it is that’s most important to you.

3. How will it be financed?

Are you eligible for public sector funding? Will you be able to pay for care privately ? Will you need to sell your home or consider other ways of releasing funds?

If you can answer these three questions, you will have gone a long way to ensuring that your care requirements are implemented on your terms – in the way that you want.

To speak to somebody about how to pre-plan your care requirements; feel free to call one of our advisors on 0808 180 2266.

Sally Tomkotowicz