I am putting my name on to my dad's building society book. I don't want the money. We are doing it so I can help buy him a flat, pay his bills, buy furniture etc. but I'm on tax credits. They told me at the bank that they could be stopped. Now im wondering if I should do it.
There will be gov't agencies that specialize in elder care, also those that specialize in your type of low income situation so getting some advice there would be a good start. You should also get some advice from a lawyer about the possibility of getting POA, it is sometimes possible to have dementia yet still be deemed to have the capacity to make informed consent.
Regardless, if you get your dad to give you POA you can act for him without entangling his and your finances, a much better option.