When an elderly parent moves into a care home, families tend to focus on the practical side: choosing a room, deciding which furniture will fit, and working out what happens to the house. All of that matters. But the move is also a natural moment to talk about wills and decision-making, while your parent can still take part fully in those conversations.

Downsizing to a single room

Most care home rooms have space for a few personal pieces: a favourite armchair, photographs, a small chest of drawers, perhaps a bookcase. Choosing what goes is hard, and it is worth involving your parent as much as possible. Familiar items can help a new room feel like home.

As you sort through the rest of the house, you may find old wills, notes about who should have certain belongings, or papers your parent has forgotten about. Keep these together. They can help when you discuss whether their affairs are in order.

Is their will up to date?

A will made decades ago may name executors who have since died, refer to a house that has been sold, or leave out grandchildren. A move into care is a sensible point to check whether it still reflects your parent’s wishes.

People sometimes assume it is too late to make or change a will once someone is in hospital or a care home. That is not necessarily true. The legal question is whether the person has the mental capacity to make a will at the time: broadly, whether they understand what a will does, what they own, and who might expect to benefit. Where someone is unwell, a solicitor may suggest taking medical evidence about capacity, and must make sure the person is making their own decisions without pressure from anyone else.

Imperial Law, a Wolverhampton firm, covers this in its guide to making a will in a care home, explaining that neither age nor where someone lives decides whether they can make a valid will. The firm’s About page also says it is happy to meet clients at home or anywhere else convenient if they cannot attend its offices, which is the kind of flexibility families often need when a parent cannot easily travel.

Lasting powers of attorney

A will only takes effect after death. A lasting power of attorney, often called an LPA, covers decisions during your parent’s lifetime if they lose the ability to make them. In England and Wales there are two types: one for property and financial affairs, and one for health and welfare. An LPA has to be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used.

If a parent loses capacity without an LPA in place, family members may need to apply to the Court of Protection for authority to manage their money or property, which can take time. GOV.UK has clear guidance on making and registering an LPA.

Handling the conversation well

These subjects can feel uncomfortable, and it helps to approach them gently:

• Choose a calm moment, not the day of the move itself.
• Explain that the aim is to make sure their wishes are followed.
• Let them speak to a solicitor privately; the decisions must be theirs.
• Avoid pressing for particular outcomes, especially if you are a beneficiary.

What happens to the house

If your parent owns their home, families often have to decide whether to sell it, let it or keep it empty for a while. That decision can depend on care funding, family wishes and legal authority. Until it is made, keep the property insured, secure and checked regularly, and tell the insurer it is unoccupied. A removal company can move the pieces going to the care home and put other furniture into storage until the family decides.

Moving a parent into care is a big change for everyone. Taking time over the paperwork as well as the furniture means their wishes are recorded properly, and the family is spared harder decisions later. For anything specific to your situation, check GOV.UK and speak to a solicitor.