Nursing Homes Records

Jellybaby_1

About 40 years ago my mother, now deceased, inherited a very small inheritance from her sister who died in a nursing home in England. The family here in Ireland were traced by a solicitor dealing with probate, but they didn't have all the members of the family and were advised accordingly.

I've been recently watching an old series of Heir Hunters (Series 7) and time and time again on HH when someone dies in a nursing/retirement home, the staff know nothing of the person's family, there don't seem to be any records kept, or questions asked, and continually I hear the phrases "she didn't talk about any family" or "she kept herself to herself". I'm just wondering when someone enters a nursing home what records are kept, or should be kept? I'd have thought there would be a questionnaire or background information taken by a member of staff. Anyone any knowledge, or thoughts, on this please?

pinkypinky

Probably different rules for different places. Some would be state-run, some private.

I do know my grandmother was in a nursing home and when she died they put the wrong age on her death cert. They most certainly had her correct DOB but presumably didn't look at her file when filling it out? Bugs me to this day.

Jellybaby_1

pinkypinky wrote: »

Probably different rules for different places. Some would be state-run, some private.

I do know my grandmother was in a nursing home and when she died they put the wrong age on her death cert. They most certainly had her correct DOB but presumably didn't look at her file when filling it out? Bugs me to this day.

Understandable.

Garlinge

I had to fill out long pages of info when mother admitted to a posh nursing home in UK a couple of years ago. There was one page for personal likes/dislikes and not enough room on it for me to put all I wanted to inform them of. I rechon it was just 'lip service'. In the end it turned out that not a single person working in the home was English or native English speaker save for one South African lady so I doubt if these notes were ever referred to! She escaped and is still living in her own home with carers.

Jellybaby_1

Garlinge wrote: »

I had to fill out long pages of info when mother admitted to a posh nursing home in UK a couple of years ago. There was one page for personal likes/dislikes and not enough room on it for me to put all I wanted to inform them of. I rechon it was just 'lip service'. In the end it turned out that not a single person working in the home was English or native English speaker save for one South African lady so I doubt if these notes were ever referred to! She escaped and is still living in her own home with carers.

Three cheers!!

KildareFan

I've had experience of three relatives in nursing homes where I was the next of kin and contact person. I was the one who registered their deaths as I had all the information needed.

If a person enters a nursing home under the own steam (so to speak) without a next of kin or contact person, the Nursing Home can be in difficulty. One of the local nursing homes had a resident who died and they had no information on his next of kin as he had always refused to nominate anyone.

On another note, due to probate issues I had to request medical reports on one of my relatives - the nursing home and hospital kept wads of notes on every move she made, what she ate, what visitors she had, what health issues..... much more than I wanted to known.

Garlinge

Is there a strict definition of 'next of kin'? would children of a person have equal standing or in order of seniority? And if no direct descendants do cousins/nephews etc come into the picture?

pinkypinky

I understand all children to be of equal standing for a parent in a next of kin scenario, but normally speaking, one will be designated as the contact.

For an unmarried person, their parents (equally) remain next of kin. If your parents are dead, then siblings come in to play. Once you marry, your spouse is automatically your next of kin. This can lead to issues for people who are separated but not divorced.

IANAL, but presume that for a single person whose parents and siblings are dead, then niblings are the defacto next of kin.

Garlinge

Thanks for that Pinky, always wondered! bit like rules of inheritance if no will.... Sorry if bit off topic and like the use of word 'niblings' which i take to be nieces/nephews and not a typo! 😀

pinkypinky

Absolutely, I didn't coin it but I wholeheartedly adopted it when my first nibling was on the way.

Jellybaby_1

'Niblings' is a brilliant word! Must remember that. My aunt who died in the nursing home in the UK was a widow and she had four surviving siblings plus several niblings some of whom used to travel over to visit her, also she had in-laws. I can only surmise that she may have been suffering with a condition that prevented her giving any information. Great pity that a solicitor would have to be paid to do such research. I expect it would be too much work for the nursing homes to take on the job.

KildareFan

pinkypinky wrote: »

I understand all children to be of equal standing for a parent in a next of kin scenario, but normally speaking, one will be designated as the contact.

For an unmarried person, their parents (equally) remain next of kin. If your parents are dead, then siblings come in to play. Once you marry, your spouse is automatically your next of kin. This can lead to issues for people who are separated but not divorced.

IANAL, but presume that for a single person whose parents and siblings are dead, then niblings are the defacto next of kin.

Just undergoing a probate situation with one of the relatives I was looking after who died in a nursing home without issue. While the will is proceeding very slowly, it has turned out that the surviving niblings are the next of kin in terms of inheritance (if anything should survive the legal process) - great word!

pinkypinky

Yes, for an inheritance, if your deceased father or mother is a beneficiary of a will, then you and your siblings get your parent's share equally.

KildareFan

pinkypinky wrote: »

Yes, for an inheritance, if your deceased father or mother is a beneficiary of a will, then you and your siblings get your parent's share equally.

Probably getting off topic, but if a deceased parent is a beneficiary of a will, the share will only go to the children if the testator has specifically directed that this is to happen, otherwise, the legacy goes back into the pot.



Happened with my father's will - he left a small legacy to a young man who predeceased my father; while the young man had a daughter, the legacy went back into the estate, because my dad hadn't included an instruction that in the event of his decease, the legacy was to pass to his children.

pinkypinky

We are getting off-topic, but in that instance was the young man a non-relative?

My understanding is that if it's a parent and child situation, it works.

EG: My Dad has been left something in a will, but dies before the testator, however, me and my siblings are entitled to his share.

KildareFan

pinkypinky wrote: »

We are getting off-topic, but in that instance was the young man a non-relative?

My understanding is that if it's a parent and child situation, it works.

EG: My Dad has been left something in a will, but dies before the testator, however, me and my siblings are entitled to his share.

My aunt who had no children left her estate to be divided between her siblings, with instructions that if the sibling was deceased, their share to be distributed to their children (thanks Aunty Betty!). We were told that if she hadn't specified this in her will, the dead sibling's share would have gone back into the estate. The rules of intestacy are somewhat different.


Where there's a will.....

Jellybaby_1

Our solicitor thought we were 'going too far' when we explained who should get the inheritance if our children were deceased at the time of our death. :rolleyes: We insisted of course and it was included.