power of attorney , need advice

[evilmunkey]

Hey all so heres the score, i look after nd care for a 99 year old great aunt, i'm the only person she has left. this week has seen her have to go in a private care home. she needs 24 hour care , i cant do this as i have to work but i do as much as i can. feel guilty enough that i cant do more but i do have a family too and a job to hold down so cannot possibly be with her 24/7.. she now has had to go into a private care home at 500 quid a week !! thing is she has an isa of quite a few thou plus bank accounts and property that needs dealing with.. i.e. clearing and selling. all the banks are saying i need power of attorney to deal with her affairs .does anyone know how i go about this ? my aunt is happy for me to take control and have power of attorney would be grateful for any advice on this but solicitors want a fortune and direct.gov is not plain sailing....cheers

[cw2k]

A guide from the telegraph: http://www.amoimagestore.co.uk/telegraph/offers/Gu...

Does she have any assets like property ?

If she is not of sound mind then you will have to contact the Court of Protection. Details: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandr...

[Steve H]

Try this site http://www.willwriters.com/ and look for a member in your area they will certainly be able to help and shouldnt cost too much. Whilst you are doing this it may be worth looking at a welfare LPA as well as a financial one.
Steve

[Perik Omo]

What you need is a Lasting Power Of Attorney form from www.justice.gov.uk. The form is fairly easy to complete although quite long and you will need an independent witness who knows both you and your elderly relative (this cannot be another family member or relative from what I remember). I went through this process two years ago when my mother became housebound and my father was suffering from dementia, it was a bit of a hassle at the time but was worth it in the long run. When you get the the POA back then you will have to take it to the bank/building society so that you can new cheque books/bank cards that have you as signatory. Also, anybody that your relative had to deal with (utilities, 'phone etc.) will need to be informed and they might well want to see either the original POA or a certified copy so that you can deal with them. Oh yes, I nearly forgot, the insurance companies of which there were a few were a right pain as they wanted the original POA and not a copy so had to wait until returned before sending to the next!!