What Should You Do With Your Parents' Home If They Are Put Into Care?

Putting a loved one into care is an incredibly emotional and stressful experience; I know, we had to do make the decision on behalf of my mum when dad was suffering with Parkinsons and dementia.

In mum's case we were lucky, she could still afford to stay in their home even when paying for dad to be in a special care home. As mum's home was big enough to create a bedroom downstairs and we had a loo on the same level, eventually as dad's illness progressed, we were able to bring him home for the last few months.

However, not everyone is as lucky as we were so I've written a quick guide to different circumstances you may find yourself in so you know what options are available to you and you can try to work out what the best thing to do is.

What Should You Do With Your Parents' Home If They Are Put Into Care?

Lone parent goes into a residential/nursing home or hospital temporarily

Firstly, despite some horror stories, if your loved one is in a home or nursing home for however long, no one can force you (or them) to sell the property. However, what will happen is if your parent is getting financial support to help for care at home, that money is likely to be stopped after four weeks of being in hospital.

It is important to remember if you have a loved one in temporary care and they are feeling poorly and frail, what happens to their home while they are away could be quite stressful. As a result, it is a good idea to put their mind at rest and either discuss a plan of action or let them know what you are going to do.

Sadly another fact of life is that if your parent hasn't been very well, and especially if they are suffering with any dementia related illnesses, that they have managed to keep up to speed with all their bills such as phone/gas and electricity/TV licence etc. Check with each service what you can do to keep the power/line active while keeping the bills as low as possible.

Whatever you decide, the first thing to check is your parent's home insurance. If the property is going to be unoccupied for more than 30 days and you do not advise your insurance company, the insurance may be invalid. Speak to the insurance company to see what you can do or go to specialist companies such as Towergate who will insure the property cost effectively.

Once you've sorted the insurance, then it's important to decide whether you are going to leave the property empty or whether another family member might stay there (who your parent will trust) or you can consider renting the property out.

Leaving a Property Empty Long Term

If you leave the property empty, then follow our 'empty property checklist' to make sure that you keep it as safe as possible for when your parent returns:-

Empty Property Checklist

1. Make sure the property is insured for being empty for more than 30 days (or whatever the current home insurance covers).

2. Turn off the gas, water and all plugs so the property is kept safe.

3. Cancel or redirect as many deliveries as you can, such as milk, newspapers or other mail.

4. Ensure you have an alarm or something that would alert YOU or neighbours if they are around, that the property was being broken into.

5. Either ask a neighbour/friend to visit the property a couple of times a week or do it yourself and ensure all post is read and throw away (or cancel) anything that is no longer needed.

6. Make sure that the curtains or blinds are closed/opened regularly.

7. Enhance security by having lights/radio etc coming on at different times of the day.

8. Ensure that the garden is kept in as good an order as possible. Contact 'Help the Aged' as they may be able to suggest a good value gardener that's been checked by them.

9. In summer months, be on the lookout for unwanted visitors such as ants.

10. In the winter, check that the boiler still works.

Finally, when your mum or dad does come home, check the place over thoroughly a few weeks or so beforehand, especially if your parent may need some help or changes to the property post nursing/hospital care.

Renting an Owned Property

If you want to rent a property out, you are likely to have to do this for six months or more. You will also need to incur costs to let the property legally such as:-

Energy Performance Certificate Gas Safety Certificate Electrical Safety Certificate OR self certifying that the electrics are safe

You also need to bear in mind that if you take a tenant on, you will need:-

1. An up to date tenancy agreement.
2. To protect deposits in a tenancy deposit scheme.
3. To carry out credit checks on the tenant.

You can legally do all this yourself, but if it's your first time, it's wise to use a recognised service as otherwise you may fall foul of the law or end up with a tenant that causes more hassle than it's worth.

When the tenant moves in, you'll need to:-

1. Make sure all furniture and appliances are checked independently to meet fire safety legislation.
2. Have an inventory, ideally from a member of the The AIIC.
3. Secure specialist buy to let insurance to protect the property from rogue tenants and any damage.

Finally, remember that any excess rental income versus allowable costs your parent receives could be taxable, so you'll need to check this out too!

What to do if a lone parent is moved into a residential/nursing home permanently

This is such a tough time for everyone. Sometimes it's a relief all round, other times it can be very tense. Depending on your circumstances, you have two courses of action: to sell the property or rent it out.

Whether you decide to rent out the property or sell it often depends on three factors:-

1. Is your parent 'happy' to let go of the property or do they still think they will come home at some stage? This can be the case especially if people have dementia.

2. The state of the market. If the market isn't particularly buoyant, for example at the moment, then it might not be the ideal time to sell.

3. Whether you and your parent want to sell the 'family' home.

Essentially, if you haven't already, you'll need to deal with issues such as 'Power of Attorney' to allow you to take over your parent's affairs. The Alzheimer's Society explains this quite well, although your parent doesn't need to have dementia to have a Power of Attorney, but you will need their consent.

It is important to speak to your parent on a 'good day' and ask them what they would like to do, explaining all the different options and the pros and cons of each of them.

Pros and Cons of Different Options

Buying your Parent's Home
You might decide to rent out your own home (or sell) and buy your parent's home instead as it might be bigger, and just what you are after. Before you do this, you need to talk to a legal expert and an inheritance tax expert to find the best way for you to do this, for your circumstances.

Sometimes this option can be a real bonus to a parent as when they come to visit they are still coming back to their own home. However, it's more complicated if there is more than one sibling.

Pros
Your parent can come back for visits to their own 'home'.
May mean you secure the property you want for your family.

Cons
Difficult option if you have brothers/sisters as you might not be able to agree on a fair settlement.
Need to seek tax and legal advice which will cost several hundred pounds.

Equity Release
If you don't want to sell your parent's home now and renting it out won't cover care fees, then you could consider releasing some equity until you decide what you want to do longer term.

For more information about equity release, read our Equity Release guide. Make sure that any company you contact about equity release is a member of SHIP.

Pros
Relatively easy and quick to secure funds
Can help if money is tight during a stressful time

Cons
Can be more costly than selling up or renting
It's not an instant solution, so will take some weeks to set up

Selling your Parent's Home
In some cases you may have little choice but to sell the home to help fund your parent's costs of being in residential/nursing care. There have been some media reports of people having to sell their homes to fund their hospital care.

Pros
Makes a clean break with the home so your parent can move on.
The money can help support your parent while in care, helping to choose which home they go into.

Cons
May be too stressful for your parent to let go of the property.
If selling in a poor market, it may mean that it takes a while to sell the property and you have to sell at a discount to find a buyer.

Renting out your Parent's Home
This might be a good option if your parent hasn't yet accepted that they need to sell their home, or it's the right thing for them. It may also be helpful if the market isn't very good and it's taking some time to sell a property.

Pros
Leaves your options open so you have some time to decide what to do with the property.
Can help fund care costs if required.

Cons
Renting a home requires checks and changes to the property and will incur costs prior to renting.
Tenants could cause problems or damage the property.

What are your options if you have one poorly parent and one well parent?

On the one hand this can make things easier, as often, the parent who is well will be able to help make the decisions and they will often want to either stay in the home or move, so it takes renting out of the equation.

Ideally you'll need to discuss with both parents what they want to do, but it's important not to rush into anything. Many people making decisions at times like this when stress levels are high, end up making the wrong decision and then incurring more cost later on as they 'change their mind'.

As a result, it's important to consider lots of questions and then decide on some options which, ideally, can be trialled.

For example, when you have two parents, one of whom is ill either temporarily or long term, it's important to think through not only the next few months and the next year, but also what happens when only one parent is left. A hard thought I know, but it's often what people don't think through and the consequences of not working this out can incur further unnecessary costs later on. I know this is hard to do, but some may be better off staying in their own home, others may be better off downsizing and some may be better off moving close to a family member.

Top 10 Things to Consider when one parent is poorly or needs care

1. How 'attached' to the area are your parents? Are all their friends there? Do they have hobbies such as bowling/theatre nearby that they would miss if moved?

2. How adaptable is the home they are in? Does a downstairs bedroom/bathroom facility exist or can it be created?

3. Is it possible or practical to have care at home in the short or long term? How much would this cost?

4. Are there people nearby that can help in an emergency?

5. If one of your parent's is a carer of the other, how would you manage if they became ill?

6. If your parents do trade down, what equity would be left over after the sale to buy another home?

7. Would an ordinary property be OK or would your parents benefit from retirement living in specially built properties or warden aided facilities? What would be the additional costs of this type of property?

8. What facilities would the new property need to have? What is it likely to cost?

9. If a parent needs regular hospital/residential care, what transport facilities would be required long term? A car may be fine now, but can your parents get their easily by public transport/taxi?

10. How much can you as a family help with the care, what's practical, what other help and support can you secure?

There are lots of organisations that can help you with these decisions, for example 'Help the Aged'. Alternatively, your local social worker should be able to help and you should be allocated one during your loved ones stay in hospital or care. It's important to liaise with social workers as they understand the rules and regulations of funding short and long term care, and what other financial or home support help you are entitled to.

What Should You Do With Your Parents' Home If They Are Put Into Care?
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I am one of the UK's top property experts being regularly quoted in the press including the Telegraph, Independent, Times, Daily Mail and Express and have appeared on BBC2, featured on BBC Radio 4, Channel 4 and a number of local BBC Radio stations.

I have been a consultant to the property sector for a number of years and renovating properties for over 20 years. I have also written a number of books, including four for Which? - Buy, Sell, Move House, Renting and Letting, Develop your Property and the Property Investment Handbook.

For answers to all your property questions, contact me at Designs on Property on 0845 838 1763 or visit our website and blog using the links below:-

http://www.designsonproperty.co.uk/

http://factsnotheadlines.blogspot.com/

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Impact of Social Media on Society

"Do you have Facebook?"
"Yes, of course. But I don't think you can find me, as there are too many people who have the same name as me. Try searching with my surname as well."
"Hey, you celebrated your birthday in K-Box, right? I saw the photos in your Facebook."
"Bro, I saw your comments about the YouTube video that I've posted in my blog. I'm happy that you are also deeply moved by the 'Dancing Peacock Man' as well."

Social media or "social networking" has almost become part of our daily lives and being tossed around over the past few years. It is like any other media such as newspaper, radio and television but it is far more than just about sharing information and ideas. Social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Blogs have facilitated creation and exchange of ideas so quickly and widely than the conventional media. The power of define and control a brand is shifting from corporations and institutions to individuals and communities. It is no longer on the 5Cs (e.g. condominium, credit cards and car) that Singaporeans once talked about. Today, it is about the brand new Cs: creativity, communication, connection, creation (of new ideas and products), community (of shared interests), collaboration and (changing the game of) competition.

In January 2010, InSites Consulting has conducted an online survey with 2,884 consumers from over 14 countries between the ages of 18 to 55 years old on social networking. More than 90% of participants know at least 1 social networking site and 72% of participants are members of at least 1 social networking site. On the average, people have about 195 friends and they log in twice a day to social networking sites. However, 55% of the users cannot access their social network websites at work. In the past, not many adults were able to make more than 500 friends, but with social media, even a child or teenager can get to know more than 500 people in a few days by just clicking the mouse. Social media has devalued the traditional definition of "friend" where it means trust, support, compatible values, etc. Although we get to know more people, we are not able to build strong bond with all the people whom we met as our available time is limited. Hence, there is an upcoming social trend of people with wider social circles, but weaker ties (people we don't know very well but who provide us with useful information and ideas).

Impact of Social Media on Society

Social media also influences people's buying behaviours. Digital Influence Group reported that 91% of the people say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to buying decisions and 87% trust a friend's recommendation over critic's review. It is thrice more likely to trust peer opinions over advertising for purchasing decisions. 1 word-of-mouth conversation has an impact of 200 TV ads. With the prevalence use of social media, there is numerous news related to it from the most viewed YouTube video on "Armless pianist wins 'China's Got Talent'" to Web-assisted suicide cases (e.g. New Jersey college student who killed himself after video of him in a sexual encounter with another man was posted online). Thus, does social networking make us better or worse off as a society?

Positive Effects of Social Media

Besides having opportunity to know a lot of people in a fast and easy way, social media also helped teenagers who have social or physical mobility restrictions to build and maintain relationships with their friends and families. Children who go overseas to study can still stay in meaningful contact with their parents. To a greater extend, there is anecdotal evidence of positive outcomes from these technologies.

In 2008, President-elected Obama won the election through the effective use of social media to reach millions of audience or voters. The Obama campaign had generated and distributed huge amount of contents and messages across email, SMS, social media platforms and their websites. Obama and his campaign team fully understood the fundamental social need that everyone shares - the need of being "who we are". Therefore, the campaign sent the message as "Because It's about YOU" and chose the right form of media to connect with individuals, call for actions and create community for a social movement. They encouraged citizens to share their voices, hold discussion parties in houses and run their own campaign meetings. It truly changed the delivery of political message.

Obama campaign had made 5 million "friends" on more than 15 social networking sites (3 million friends on Facebook itself) and posted nearly 2,000 YouTube videos which were watched over 80 million times. At its peak, their website, MyBarackObama.com, had 8.5 million monthly visitors and produced 400,000 blog posts. In order to ensure that their contents were found by people, the Obama campaign spent .5 million on Google search in October alone, 0,000 on Advertising.com, 7,000 on Facebook in 2008, etc. Currently, Obama's Twitter account has close to 6 million followers.

In 2010, after the earthquake happened in Haiti, many of the official communication lines were down. The rest of the world was not able to grasp the full picture of the situation there. To facilitate the sharing of information and make up for the lack of information, social media came in very handy to report the news about the affected area on what happened and what help was needed. Tweets from many people provided an impressive overview of the ongoing events from the earthquake. BBC covered the event by combining tweets from the work of its reporter Matthew Price in Port-au-Prince at the ground. Guardian's live blog also used social media together with the information from other news organisations to report about the rescue mission.

It has been two years since CNN officially launched iReport as a section of its website where people can upload video material, with contact information. During the Haiti crisis, CNN had published a range of social media material but not all the materials were verified. The editorial staff would vet the reports from the citizen journalists and labeled them differently compared to unverified contents. On Facebook, a group, named "Earthquake Haiti", was formed to show support and share updates and news. It had more than 14,000 members and some users even pleaded for assistance to the injured Haitians in the group. Using email, Twitter and social networking sites like Facebook, thousands of volunteers as part of Project Ushahidi were able to map reports sent by people from Haiti.

The most impressive part of the social media's impact on Haiti is the charity text-message donations that soared to over million for the victims in Haiti. People interested in helping the victims are encouraged to text, tweet and publicize their support using various social networking sites. The Global Philanthropy Group had also started a campaign to ask wealthy people and celebrities, like Ben Stiller and John Legend to use Twitter and Facebook to encourage others to give to UNICEF. An aid worker, Saundra Schimmelpfennig, allowed the advice from other aid workers and donors to post on her blog regarding to choosing which charitable organisations to support. In the meantime, donors were asking questions in Twitter, Facebook and blogs about their donations and endorsements of their favourite charities. After every crisis, the social media for social cause becomes a more effective medium to spread the word.

Negative Effects of Social Media

There are always two sides of every coin. Social media is just a tool or mean for people to use. It is still up to the users on how to use this tool (just like a knife, can help you to cut food or hurt others). Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center conducted a study on "The Future of Online Socializing" from the highly engaged, diverse set of respondents to an online, opt-in survey consisted of 895 technology stakeholders and critics. The negative effects presented by the respondents included time spent online robs time from important face-to-face relationships; the internet fosters mostly shallow relationships; the act of leveraging the internet to engage in social connection exposes private information; the internet allows people to silo themselves, limiting their exposure to new ideas; and the internet is being used to engender intolerance.

Some respondents also highlighted that there will be development of some new psychological and medical syndromes that will be "variations of depression caused by the lack of meaningful quality relationships", and a "new world society". The term, "Social Networking", has begun to deceive the users to believe they are social creatures. For instance, spending a couple of hours using Farmville and chatting with friends concurrently does not convert into social skills. People become dependent on the technology and forget how to socialise in face-to-face context. The online personality of a person might be totally different from his/her offline character, causing chaos when the two personalities meet. It is apparent in online dating when the couple gets together in face-to-face for the first time. Their written profiles do not clearly represent their real-life characters. It is more enticing for people to type something that others want to hear than saying the truth.

Besides the "friendship", creators of social networking sites and users redefine the term, "privacy" in the Internet as well. The challenge in data privacy is to share data while protecting personally identifiable information. Almost any information posted on social networking sites is permanent. Whenever someone posts pictures or videos on the web, it becomes viral. When the user deletes a video from his/her social network, someone might have kept it and then posted it onto other sites like YouTube already. People post photographs and video files on social networking sites without thinking and the files can reappear at the worst possible time. In 2008, a video of a group of ACJC students hazing a female student in school on her birthday was circulated and another video of a SCDF recruit being "welcomed" (was hosed with water and tarred with shoe polish) to a local fire station made its way online.

Much news has been reported about online privacy breach in Facebook and Facebook is constantly revising their privacy policy and changing their privacy controls for the users. Interestingly, even when users delete their personal information and deactivate their Facebook account, Facebook will still keep that information and will continue to use it for data mining. A reporter asked whether the data will at least be anonymized. The Facebook representative declined to comment.

In the corporate world, human resource managers can access Facebook or MySpace to get to know about a candidate's true colours, especially when job seekers do not set their profiles to private. Research has found that almost half of employers have rejected a potential worker after finding incriminating material on their Facebook pages. Some employers have also checked the candidates' online details in Facebook pages to see if they are lying about their qualifications. Nowadays, younger generations have a complete disregard for their own privacy, opening doors to unwelcome predators or stalkers.

Impact of Social Media on Society
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Raymond Tay
Founder & Trainer of Leader's Wheel LLP

Having strong interest in personal development and helping others.

My Company Site: http://www.leaderswheel.com
My Learning Blog: http://www.leaderswheel.com/raymondtay

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