Torbay DementiaLeadership Group

• Influencing Public Policies• Raising Awareness

• Reducing Prejudice & Stigma• Support and Focus

The Local voice of people with DementiaIssue 2

This is the second edition of our Bulletin which seeks to be a source of reference and information for people living with a diagnosis and their carers in Torbay.

In this edition we are covering hot topics which are some of the most frequent source of questions posed to our Dementia Advisers.

Driving And Dementia ...........................................................................Page 3

Financial And Legal Affairs ..................................................................Page 4

Joint Bank Accounts ................................................................................Page 5

Chip & Signature Bank Cards ..............................................................Page 5

Court Of Protection .................................................................................Page 6

Lasting Power Of Attorney (LPA) ......................................................Page 6

Benefits ....................................................................................................... Page 7

Torbay Engagement and Empowerment Network (Teen) ........ Page 8

If you are concerned for someone with Dementia

If you are concerned for someone with dementia or wish for some advice about living well with dementia and available support,then contact us at our local office on 01803 210333 (9-5 Mon to Fri) or

Our National Helpline number(now open weekends 10am-4pm) is 0300 222 1122 and the email address is helpline@alzheimers.org.uk

Driving and Dementia

This is a very sensitive issue for many people with dementia, as well as their families and carers. After all, giving up driving can be a symbol of relinquishing independence.

Yet, as dementia progresses, a person may lose the ability to drive safely. It’s definitely a decision which needs to be handled thoughtfully and tactfully.

The Alzheimer’s Society position is to acknowledge it is important that a person with dementia maintains their independence. We know that many people can continue to drive, safely, with a diagnosis. A formal diagnosis is important in the current process.

By law, any driver, once diagnosed, must inform the DVLA of their diagnosis. Failure to do so is likely to render any existing insurance policy as invalid. The DVLA will then request regular updates from the GP.

At any point, if a GP or a carer has concerns about a person’s ability to drive, they can contact the DVLA.

If someone with a diagnosis of dementia is unsure of their ability to drive, they can take a driving assessment.

Their driving licence will need reviewing every year.

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Page 4

Financial and Legal Affairs

If a person has dementia it is important to organise your financial and legal affairs while you are still able to do so meaningfully.

This ensures that in the future your affairs will be set up in a way that you have chosen.

Make sure that all important papers are in order and that you know where to find them.

Direct Debits and Standing Orders

Many people find that using a direct debit or standing order is a good way of ensuring that regular bills get paid on time.

It can be reassuring for someone to know that this happens automatically and they don’t have to worry every month about paying utility bills, signing cheques or visiting the bank.

Alzheimers Society provides a free service to help you.

Call the Alzheimers’ Society National Dementia Helpline 0300 222 1122

Chip and Signature Bank Cards

For someone concerned about remembering their personal identification number (PIN) for their bank card, a chip and signature card may be useful.

This works like a normal bank card, but instead of having to put a PIN into a machine, the holder is asked to sign a receipt, and their signature is checked. Individual banks can give you advice and information on getting these cards.

Not all chip and signature cards enable someone to get cash from a cash machine, so the person will have to go into the bank for cash.

Also these cards are not generally accepted at self-service checkouts.

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Joint Bank Accounts

Some people find that joint bank accounts can be helpful in the short term. They allow both the person with dementia and another account holder to access and manage their account.

Often people have a joint bank account with their spouse, partner or offspring. A joint bank account can give a person with dementia peace of mind that someone else is supporting them with organising the bills and payments.

It can also help people with mobility problems, as the second account holder can go to the branch if needed

Most joint accounts are set up to operate only when both people have capacity to run the back account.

If a bank knows that someone is acting as an Enduring Power of Attorney / Lasting Power of Attorney or Deputy for someone, they will usually insist on a separate account for the person with dementia, rather than a joint account.

In terms of separating finances, if and when it comes to paying for extra care it is also much easier to have separate accounts.

This is because a local authority ought to be means testing the person who is in receipt of the service (for example, home care, respite or residential care), and no one else.

• Copies of LPA forms can be obtained from the Office of the Public Guardian. They come in two separate parts:

• Property and Affairs • Health & Welfare

• You can chose to appoint anyone you trust as long as they are over 18 years of age and are not bankrupt.

• You need to fill in the forms and get it signed by all relevant parties; yourself, an independent third party called a certificate provider, and the attorney you’re appointing.

• In addition you should list one or more people who you want notified of the application.

• Registration costs around £120 per form (2014). The Lasting Power of Attorney must be registered before it can be used.

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Court of ProtectionWhat happens if you are left mentally unable to make decisions because of accident, illness or disease?

With an ageing population it happens more than you think – and if you haven’t got Power of Attorney specifying who can look after your affairs, you’ll have to go through the Court of Protection.

The court was set up to protect the assets of vulnerable people, but unfortunately it remains a lengthy, complex and expensive system and is best avoided if possible.

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) There’s an easy way to avoid the court of protection and that’s to grant someone you trust Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), giving them the right to look after specific aspects of your finances or health & welfare after you lose capacity to do so.

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Direct payments

Direct payments can be used to buy services from an organisation or to employ somebody to provide assistance by a carer.

You can use a direct payment to purchase services you to support you in your caring role. This includes support that may help maintain your health and well-being, such as driving lessons or a holiday so you can have time to yourself.

Social Care will make an assessment and if you are assessed as needing for example, domestic help, you may ask for a direct payment to purchase the services you need.

Keep records of your claimIt is easy to forget what information has been given, to whom and by whom. It helps if you can:

• Keep brief notes of key points of a conversation, who the conversation was with and date and time it took place. Get in the habit of asking and recording people’s names and titles.

• Keep copies of letters or forms you have sent out and any you have received

• Have all relevant details to hand if you want to discuss your claim over the phone

Council Tax DisregardIf you do receive Attendance Allowance you may qualify for a disregard and a council tax reduction.

For further details ask for Alzheimer’s Society Factsheets 413 and 414.

Attendance Allowance

As a minimum, a person with dementia will usually claim Attendance Allowance (or Personal Independence Payment if under 65 years).

Personal care needs might include supervision of or help with activities such as washing, dressing, eating, going to the toilet, turning over or settling in bed, taking medication, or social or recreational activities. This benefit has two rates:

• Higher Rate: needing frequent help / prompting with personal care like washing or going to the toilet, or continual supervision to avoid danger during the day and also need help with personal care or supervision either for a prolonged period or several times during the night, or if you need watching over.

• Lower Rate: needing frequent help / prompting with personal care, or continual supervision throughout the day, or help either for a prolonged period or several times during the night, or if you need watching over.

The difference is one of degree. The higher rate appears to be paid if there is an element of being at risk of danger during the day. Having dementia is not an automatic entitlement to this benefit, it does depend on the effect dementia is having upon yours and your carers life at the time you apply. It may not be applicable to you now, but bear this in mind for the future

Personal Independence Payments (PIP) This benefit replaced Disability Living Allowance for all new claimants after June 2013.

It works on a similar premise to that of Attendance Allowance but is for people under 65 years of age when claiming.

BenefitsClaiming benefits can be a complex process, your Dementia Adviser is able to help your understanding.

Torbay Engagement and Empowerment Network (TEEN)Finally, the Torbay Engagement and Empowerment Network (TEEN) is to be brought to life as an independent support network for people living with dementia and their carers.

The intention is to give life to a wide social network of people living with dementia and their carers in Torbay. To provide opportunities to meet up – (with or without structure and organised activity),- to get to know people with similar concerns and share those, and discuss possible solutions or just pass the time in a supportive and friendly setting.

We have a lovely volunteer, Beth, to help facilitate this, if you would like to

be involved let us know on 01803 210333.

There are a range of support sources that

can help you.

Citizens Advice Bureaux www.citizensadvice.org.uk

Alzheimer’s Society Helpline0300 222 11 22

Age UK - 0800 169 6565

So what have we been up to..

This year the group has ‘sense checked’ or reviewed the following documents:• 2015-2016 Dementia Care Plan. (For use by GP Practices across the whole country)

• ‘Will the NHS pay for my Treatment?’ (A public information leaflet in use by the

Torbay and South Devon Clinical Commissioning Group)

• Patient Factsheet ‘ Devon Referral Support Services, Information about your referral’

• Alzheimer’s Society 2015-2016 Daily Living Aids catalogue, a national circulation and

on line retail purchasing catalogue. The most recent work carried out by the group was a visit to Chillington Health Centre where we conducted a ‘Dementia Friendly Walkthrough’.

This kind invitation allowed the group tosee the excellent work carried out in this GP practice to attend to the needs of peopleliving with dementia and their carers, and to offer advice based on personal experience of living with a diagnosis.

This was a rewarding and encouraging experience which we hope to repeat in similar settings across Torbay and South Devon.