Initial considerations

You may have to face many issues in caring for an ageing parent, depending on your circumstances (including how far away you live from the relative you’re caring for).

Your parent might not be able to look after themselves any longer. Will you be caring for them at their home, at your home, or will they have to consider moving into sheltered housing or a care home?

How will you juggle your caring commitments with your job and looking after your own family?

• How do you make sure you each take equal responsibility in caring for your parent – especially if you live the closest?

• What care and health professionals will you have to liaise with, such as GPs and local authority workers?

• Will, your parent need adaptations to their home and special equipment.

Financial implications

For many carers, money is also a significant issue. For instance, you may have to consider selling your parent’s home to pay for their care, or you may have to give up your job if you want to care for them full time.

Making sure you and they both maximise their entitlement is essential.

Carer support

Local authorities provide care services to help with daily tasks. Ask for a needs assessment for your parent to find out what’s available and a means-tested financial assessment to see if they can get any of those services for free.

Grants for home adaptations

Local authorities also offer Disabled Facilities Grants to help modify your parent’s home to help them live independently (in Scotland, the grant is called a Scheme of Assistance). Social services often also carry out minor home alterations for free.

Benefits entitlement

There’s also a range of benefits that you and the person you’re caring for may be entitled to, including Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independent Payment and Attendance Allowance. Find out more about these and other benefits at gov.UK.

Financial support

If your parent has to go into a care home, your local authority will conduct a needs assessment to determine if they qualify for financial support. Then, depending on their income, savings and assets, your parent may have their care home fees paid in full by the local authority or in part – where you or another relative pays the rest. Or they may be fully responsible for paying their care bills.

Set up a power of attorney

Meanwhile, you may also have to think about managing your parent’s finances if they have dementia or memory problems, a physical disability or if they can’t deal with their finances themselves because they’re ill or in hospital. Ask their bank for a third-party mandate form if you want to deal with your parent’s bank on their behalf, or consider discussing setting up a power of attorney with them. Find out more by reading our Guide to power of attorney.

Where to get help

There are, of course, many more things to consider when you decide to take on the role of carer for an elderly parent. However, knowing where to go for help can make all the difference.

And if your elderly parent has Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, we also work with Dementia UK to provide you with access to specialist dementia nurses called Admiral Nurses. Contact us on +44 (0) 1788 556 366 to speak to an adviser and find out how we can help you.

The following organisations also offer advice and support on a range of issues:

• Age UK: information on all aspects of being a carer (0800 169 2081)
• Carers Trust: Help, advice and an online community for carers. It also has a national network of carers’ centres that you can visit for help.
• Carers UK: More help, advice and an online carers’ forum (0808 808 7777)
• Alzheimer’s Society: Charity providing information and support services for people with dementia as well as those caring for someone with dementia (0300 222 1122)
• Citizens Advice: For help with debt and financial problems and claiming benefits, as well as practical support for carers
• Money Advice Service: Provides free money advice on a range of issues, including choosing care services, support for carers, paying for the cost of care, claiming benefits and help with debt (0800 138 7777)