The importance of effective planning and professional support on care decisions were the two key themes at the ‘Pragmatic Solutions to Care Problems’ conference held by Bristol law firm Gregg Latchams.
The conference brought together experts from all areas of the care system from medical practitioners and social service managers to financial advisors and solicitors, to share their knowledge, insights and ideas on how to improve the decision making, security, financing and quality of care for those who need it. The aim being to put the person concerned back at the centre of care.
With the UK’s ageing population growing and 850,000 people currently living with Dementia, (which is expected to rise to more than one million by 2025), managing the provision of care is a pressing issue for most families and has major legal, financial, medical and social implications.
Gregg Latchams hosted the event, held at The Hive in Weston-Super-Mare, to tackle the key issues across the sector in response to the growing demand for advice and expertise on care provision and end of life planning.
The event raised money for BRACE Alzheimers Research and the Bristol Dementia Action Alliance.
Event organiser Heledd Wyn, associate director at Gregg Latchams, specialising in Estate and Care Planning, who is also a trustee at BRACE Alzheimers Research, said: “This event was a huge success bringing together professionals from many different areas of care to learn from one another, discuss the key challenges and explore possible solutions.
“The issue of how best to manage care from a financial and legal but also medical and social perspective is only going to become more pressing with our ageing population and a rising number of people suffering from dementia and other age-related illnesses.
“We need more events like this where care and the challenges it raises are given centre stage and openly discussed by people working in different areas.”
- Mental Capacity Act
Jane Buswell, founder of South West Care Skills which provides expert clinical advice, training and mentoring for Health and Social Care professionals, kicked off the event with an introduction to the Mental Capacity Act and overview of the challenges around assessing individual’s decision-making abilities.
She insisted sufficient time was needed to draw helpful conclusions when assessing people, saying: “Assessing capacity is a conversation not an exam.”
- Financial Planning
Ian Evans, head of later life advice at Fiveways Financial Planning Ltd, and an accredited member of the Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA), talked about the importance of independent financial advice when planning for care. Highlighting the huge costs of care, he said unpaid carers saved the economy more than £11bn each year.
He praised SOLLA, saying Accredited Later Life Advisors can provide people with security and peace of mind by helping them with budgeting and forward planning using cashflow modelling, estate planning, care funding, investment planning, income generation, capital protection, tax management and much more.
- Legal – Future Planning and Sleep-ins
Heledd Wyn highlighted the challenges and potential solutions to effective estate planning, including how attorneys and deputies are required to act when assisting elderly and vulnerable adults. She identified the importance (both legally and personally) on being prepared in order to avoid a crisis purchase.
Cecily Donoghue, employment solicitor at Gregg Latchams then discussed the current position on the sleep-in crisis, following the Court of Appeal decision in the Mencap appeal. Both discussions generated a great deal of discussion amongst those attending the event.
- Fraud investigation
Forensic accountant and fraud investigator Paul Smith talked about this growing area of crime, which is tragically most often carried out by trusted family members.
He listed key red flags to look out for such as changes in account status or gifting of large sums but also presented preventative measures which centre around open and honest family communication. He praised family agreements, effective estate planning, joint power of attorney with a professional, annual copies of a credit report and lastly, appointeeship and appointee bonds.
- Doula
The importance of planning also came across in the talk by Aly Dickinson for End of Life Doula UK who support those with a life limiting illness by preparing them and making them feel more at peace with dying.
Aly acknowledged that many of those suffering from Dementia do not receive their dying wishes, for example, 63% of us want to die at home but only 23.5% do. Doula provide guidance to plan end of life care.
- Family support and care options
Support should also be available for the carers of those suffering with Dementia as discussed by The Harbour. Their presentation highlighted that by providing carers with emotional support earlier on, the admission to residential care of the person with dementia is delayed by an average of 500 days.
Gemma Lock, national business development manager at The Good Care Group, ended the day by sharing her insights on a practical approach when it comes to talking to clients about care. She ran through the care options and explained why keeping people in their own home is often beneficial if it is possible.