For most people, this starts with talking to the people closest to them. It’s not always an easy conversation, and giving loved ones some notice of what you want to discuss tends to make it a more useful one than springing it on them unannounced. Being specific matters here – “I’d rather stay at home as long as possible” is a preference; what that actually means if a fall or a diagnosis makes staying at home genuinely difficult is the harder, more useful conversation to have while you still can. This matters most if you intend to lean on family for some of your care, or if you’re planning to name them in a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Writing it down does something a conversation can’t
A conversation is easily remembered differently by two people, which is exactly why it’s worth putting your wishes in writing as well. A written record gives your family something to refer back to, and it can settle a disagreement between them that a half-remembered conversation never could. Keep it somewhere accessible, review it periodically, and consider giving a copy to your solicitor or financial planner so it isn’t only sitting in a drawer at home.
The document that actually gives someone authority
A conversation and a written note both help, but neither gives anyone the legal power to act for you – only a Lasting Power of Attorney does that. There are two types: a health and welfare LPA, covering decisions about daily routine, medical care, moving into a care home, and life-sustaining treatment; and a property and financial affairs LPA, covering your money and assets. You can appoint the same person to both, or different people to each, and you can name more than one attorney.
The practical detail worth knowing: registering an LPA currently costs £82, or £164 if you’re setting up both types, with fee reductions available if you’re on a low income or certain means-tested benefits. Processing currently takes somewhere between 14 and 20 weeks, including a mandatory four-week window in which anyone can raise an objection – so this isn’t something to leave until it’s urgent. Reform is underway that’s intended to move the whole process online and speed it up, but until that lands, the current paper-based system is what applies, and the one unmovable rule stays the same throughout: you must have mental capacity at the point you make an LPA, not after.
Two ways to record your medical wishes – only one of them binds anyone
It’s worth knowing there are actually two distinct tools here, and they carry very different weight. An advance statement sets out your general preferences – where you’d like to be cared for, religious or personal considerations, that sort of thing – and while doctors are expected to take it seriously, it isn’t legally binding. An advance decision to refuse treatment is a different instrument entirely: it lets you refuse specific, named treatments in circumstances you set out in advance, and provided it’s valid and applies to the situation at hand, medical staff cannot legally override it. If you have strong views about particular treatments, it’s the advance decision that actually enforces them – a general statement of preference won’t.
Make sure the money is actually reachable
Setting aside funds for care is only useful if whoever needs to access them can – which usually means making sure your property and financial affairs attorney knows the fund exists and has the legal means to use it. We’ve written separately about what care itself is likely to cost, which is worth reading alongside this if you haven’t already, since the two pieces of planning work best together rather than in isolation.
Let’s talk about your care plan
We work with clients across Poole, Bournemouth and the wider Dorset area to build care costs and wishes into a wider financial plan, so the practical and financial sides of this sit together rather than being handled separately. If you’d like to talk through your own care plan, get in touch and we’re happy to have a no-obligation conversation.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only. All information is correct at the time of writing (September 2026) and is subject to change in the future.
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate Lasting Powers of Attorney, advance decisions, or will writing.