Why Future Planning Matters for Families Living with Dementia

Last weekend reminded me why I do what I do.

Every conversation I have with families affected by dementia reinforces one simple truth:

Estate planning is not about preparing for death. It is about making life easier while you are still here.

This is not just something I talk about professionally. It is something I have lived.

Like so many families, dementia has touched my own life in ways I could never have imagined. My mum was diagnosed with dementia, and our family had to navigate the emotional, practical and legal challenges that so many people face. We learned first-hand how quickly life can change, how difficult decisions can become, and how important it is to have the right plans in place before they are needed.

Now, we are walking a similar path with my dad.

Being an unpaid family carer whilst running a business has given me a perspective that no textbook or qualification ever could. It means juggling appointments, worrying about someone's safety, advocating for their needs, making difficult decisions and trying to keep life moving forward at the same time.

If you have been there, you will know exactly what I mean.

There are days when you are not just a son or daughter. You are a chauffeur, a secretary, a medication manager, an advocate, a problem solver. And somehow you are expected to carry on with work, family life and everything else.

It is exhausting. But it is also why I care so deeply about helping other families prepare before a crisis happens.

Future planning is not about expecting the worst

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that estate planning is all about money. It is not.

It is about protecting the people you love and making sure their wishes are respected if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves.

When dementia enters a family, everything changes. You may suddenly find yourself asking questions you never expected to face:

• Who will make decisions if Mum or Dad loses mental capacity?
• Have they appointed the right people to help them?
• Can someone access their finances to pay the bills?
• What happens if care is needed?
• Will there be disagreements within the family?
• Do we actually know what Mum or Dad wanted?

These conversations can feel uncomfortable. But avoiding them does not make them go away. It simply leaves families trying to make life-changing decisions during one of the most emotional periods of their lives.

A Will is only part of the picture

Many people believe that making a Will is enough. A Will is incredibly important, but when dementia is involved, it is often only one piece of a much bigger protection plan.

Families may also need to think about:

• Lasting Powers of Attorney for both Property & Financial Affairs and Health & Welfare
• Who would manage finances if capacity is lost
• How assets should pass to future generations
• Protecting the family home
• Planning for care fees
• Supporting vulnerable beneficiaries
• Making sure wishes are clearly recorded while someone still has capacity

These are not conversations anyone enjoys having. But having them early gives families choices. Waiting until capacity has been lost can remove many of those options altogether.

The law cannot act on wishes it does not know about. That is why it matters so much to put things in writing while you still can.

Why a Lasting Power of Attorney matters so much

One of the most important documents any family can put in place — particularly when dementia is a concern — is a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).

An LPA allows you to appoint someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you lose the mental capacity to do so yourself. There are two types:

• Property & Financial Affairs LPA — covers bank accounts, bills, property and investments
• Health & Welfare LPA — covers medical decisions, care arrangements and daily life choices

Without an LPA in place, families may find themselves unable to access bank accounts, pay care home fees or make decisions about medical treatment. The only alternative is to apply to the Court of Protection — a process that is costly, slow and emotionally draining, particularly when a family is already under enormous pressure.

The critical point is this: an LPA can only be made while the person still has mental capacity. Once capacity is lost, the option is gone. This is why acting early matters so much.

Planning brings peace of mind

One thing I learned through my own family's experience is that uncertainty creates enormous stress. Having the right legal documents in place does not stop dementia. It does not remove the heartbreak.

But it can remove many of the practical obstacles that families find themselves facing. It means fewer emergencies, fewer disagreements, fewer unanswered questions. Most importantly, it means the person living with dementia has had the opportunity to make their own wishes known while they still could.

Why this matters to me

Through Beneficial Family Wills Cheshire, I support families who are navigating dementia, caring responsibilities and future planning. My aim is not to overwhelm people with legal terminology or complicated processes. It is to listen, to understand what is worrying them most, and then to help build a practical plan that protects the people they love.

Because I have been the daughter trying to work out what to do next. I have been the unpaid carer balancing family responsibilities with running a business. I understand how overwhelming it can feel when you are trying to make the right decisions whilst carrying the emotional weight that dementia brings.

You do not have to have all the answers before asking for help. Sometimes the best place to start is simply by asking yourself:

• What am I most worried about right now?
• Have we put the right legal protections in place?
• If something changed tomorrow, would we know what to do?
• Have we left these conversations until it is almost too late?

If those questions resonate with you, you are not alone. And you do not have to navigate them on your own either.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give our family is not an inheritance. It is clarity, protection and peace of mind.

Book a discovery call today and let us work through everything together.

Debbie Koziol
Estate Planning Consultant, Cheshire
www.beneficialfamilywills.co.uk/cheshire