Planning for the future and safeguarding your interests are things we all need to think about – but it’s important to make sure you take the appropriate action before it’s too late!
None of us wants to think about a time when we are incapable of looking after ourselves and our personal affairs but it can arrive all too quickly and catch us totally unawares and unprepared.
What would happen if you were unable to make any financial or health decisions for yourself? Who would ensure your welfare was looked after and your estate managed in accordance with your wishes?
Facing up to these facts will probably leave you wondering how you can best protect yourself in these circumstances and in what may be very difficult and trying times in the years ahead.
We have seen a massive spike recently in requests for setting up Power of Attorney but sadly in several cases we were faced with the situation of the person concerned having lost the mental capacity to make the decisions necessary to draw up the legal document. In other words, they had simply left it too late!
. This can happen in several ways, the onset of dementia or Alzheimers, severe injury like a traffic or industrial accident or deteriorating mental health. Having mental capacity means:
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Understanding a decision that needs to be made and why you need to make it
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Being successfully able to communicate decisions you want acted upon
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Understanding what the outcome of a decision is likely to be
If you no longer have the mental capacity to make a Power of Attorney, it’s a case of having to make an application via the court, a process which may be complicated and costly. This is why it is so important for people to make a Power of Attorney in good time and while they are in good health so health and finance plans are not delayed.
The solution
There are two different forms of Lasting Power of Attorney: Property and Financial Affairs; and Health and Welfare. It’s important to remember that people may well have taken out one of these options but not the other. If this is the case then you must ensure both areas are accounted for.
The Power of Attorney means naming one or more people who can act for you if you are incapable of doing so yourself – either in the case of Health and Welfare or Property and financial, someone who can be relied upon to make decisions for you in future should the need arise.
It’s hard coming to terms with the fact that we may be unable to look after ourselves in our best interests in the years ahead but it is something that affects many of us, so it’s important to make the necessary arrangements now – while we are still able to do so!
For more information, call us on 01952 305105 or 07786 548025 or email enquiries@