Q. I am 60 years old and in good health. However, a friend of mine has developed dementia and it makes you think doesn't it? How would I make sure that the right people made the right decisions for me if I wasn't able to?
A. You can make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). This is a legal document allowing you to choose who will make decisions for you in the event that you can't make decisions for yourself. You can choose the type of decisions your attorney will make on your behalf and you can give them as much or as little power as you like.
There are 2 types of LPA:
- A health and welfare LPA - this allows your attorney to make decisions on treatment, care, medication, where you live, etc. and
- A property and financial affairs LPA - this allows an attorney to make decisions about such things as paying bills, dealing with the bank, collecting benefits and selling your house.
It is recommended that you seek legal advice about this matter as an LPA is a powerful legal document.
For specialist advice contact Keith Swan of Patterson, Glenton & Stracey Solicitors by email at ks@pgslaw.co.uk or by telephone on 0808 231 7043. Patterson, Glenton & Stracey Solicitors have provided legal advice to the people of South Tyneside for over 125 years. For details of their full range of services and to view previous Gazette articles please log on to www.pgslaw.co.uk. Be Guided by the Experts.
