By Jonathan Upton, Director, Estatesearch
As a legal technology company for private client practitioners working on bereavement and loss of mental capacity matters, Estatesearch works with law firms to support a best practice approach, particularly for legal teams representing consumers who are considered to be vulnerable. As one of the founders of the Vulnerable Banking Group, we are dedicated to ensuring vulnerable people are treated fairly.
As part of our work, I was pleased to be introduced to a wellbeing consultancy and home care company called Plan With Care through mutual clients. I spoke to Chris Gage about how the company provides ongoing expertise, support and companionship for older people and their approach which allows clients to thrive and have the best possible quality of life. This works on a physical, environmental and emotional level.
Chris Gage, Co-Founder, Plan With Care said: “Often the first call we receive is from a solicitor who has power of attorney or a deputyship. In our first meeting with an individual, we assess their physical and environmental needs and simply get to know them. Their emotional wellbeing is of paramount importance. We learn about their history, their likes and dislikes and find out what they want to do.
“Goals are not often talked about with elderly clients or those with mental incapacity, but we do. We work on the assumption that everyone regardless of their degree of mental capacity is capable of making some choices about their preferences or wellbeing, even if that’s just the squeeze of a hand to indicate what music they’d like to listen to.
“One lady we are working with was a DJ until she was 70! In recent years she’s lost confidence living in a care home and so we’ve matched her with one of our companions with the same taste in music. Her goal at the age of 75 is to go DJing again and we are now working to help her achieve this.
“Our focused care programmes are a small investment and can transform the quality of life for supported individuals, giving them meaning and purpose. We liken our companions to a ‘professional’ daughter or son. They keep showing up yet have none of the baggage, often freeing family members from worry and care needs. If the supported individual is in a care home our experts also know what good care looks like and will escalate any issues, even advising a change in environment if the client is not happy.
“We report to solicitors formally on a three-month basis and every six months complete a more detailed care report which provides a solid base for future decision making. Solicitors can access our portal to monitor progress on the agreed plan at any time too. We can undertake mental capacity assessments and alert solicitors if there are any significant changes they need to be made award of acting in the best interests of the client at all times and working within the realistic resources available.
“If funds are available, we can discuss more creative ideas with the supported individual such as adaptations to home living spaces or fun things like holidays which could enhance their overall well-being and quality of life.
It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to help transform the quality of life of our clients. We achieve this by working hand-in-hand with solicitors all over the country, several of which also work with Estatesearch to establish assets which can subsequently be made available for better care provision.”
Chris and his team’s approach to elder care provision is a refreshing change and, in the future, we hope to be able to work with more legal firms to identify assets in incapacity cases to ensure vulnerable people get the best care possible. Joined up thinking and organisations working together in this way, can only help individuals access the enhanced care services available to them through innovative organisations such as Plan With Care.
For further information about Plan With Care please see: https://www.planwithcare.co.uk/
Originally Published on Today’s Will’s and Probate