An International Day for Elderly People

There isn’t a day on social media that doesn’t pass without having something to talk about that day.

#NationalDoughnutDay, #InternationalDayOfTheCat and so it goes on.  But did you know there is also an International Day for elderly people? It is officially called the “International Day of Older Persons” and is observed on 1st October each year. The origins were established by the United Nations General Assembly on 14th December 1990 and the very first holiday was observed on 1st October 1991. This year marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary of the “International Day of Older Persons”. The holidays are all about celebrating and raising awareness about all issues affecting the elderly and most importantly appreciating the contributions that older people make to our society.

Each year there is a focus on a particular theme and this year’s is particularly relevant being “Pandemics: do they change how we address age and aging?” With more and more family members looking after their loved ones in old age, many clients ask me whether they can be paid for caring for their loved ones. It’s a very reasonable question to ask when you are spending a large chunk of your time or even giving up your job to help a loved one such as an elderly parent or disabled child.

In some circumstances, it may be appropriate to make payments to yourself for the care you provide from the assets of your loved one but it does depend on individual circumstances. If you as the carer are also appointed as an attorney under a Lasting Power of Attorney or a deputy under a Court of Protection order property and financial affairs deputy then you should seek court approval. You should do this if you are considering paying yourself for care you provide as there is a conflict of interest of your own position and your duty to act in the best interest of the incapacitated person.

Our Court of Protection team provides expert advice to attorney and deputies on this issue and others which include care home fees and local authority funding. For more information call 0800 088 6004.