Why we should all be listening to this advice about care home fees and Power of Attorney

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Why do so many of us dither and delay when it comes to protecting two of our most valuable assets - ourselves and our homes?We insure our properties, cars - and even the washing machine and fridge - against the possibilities of fire, theft and most things imaginable.

Yet we are more than a little squeamish at facing the thoughts of our own futures.So the prospect of becoming unwell, incapacitated, or requiring a care home are often ignored, sadly, until it is too late, as Tony Marchi of estate planning experts, ILAWS, explained: “There will be a huge amount of people this month going into care in Scotland, and the majority of them will have no protection in place because they just haven’t got around to doing it.“And every single one of them, if they could turn the clock back a couple of years, would have protected their home.”And it’s not just our properties that need protection.

As our population ages, so the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s and other diseases increase. But no age is risk exempt - what would happen if, for example, you had to spend a length of time in hospital?

Who would pay for any outstanding bills if you were unable to?Having Power of Attorney in place means your loved ones can take responsibility for your affairs if you are unable to.“Don’t delay, do this now, plan for it now,” said Tony. “If you choose not to do it that’s absolutely fine but at least you know.