Today’s blog answers a question for Jake and is a follow up to the questions posed to me recently; in the first Lee asked why do I need a Lasting Power of Attorney? How much it costs depends on two things, how you decide to make the Lasting Power of Attorney and what application fee you will pay; I’ll cover both this blog.

What shall I blog about next time I asked Lee? Simple, he said, can you just tell me why I need a Lasting Power of Attorney. Here goes, next time I’ll cover costs for Jake!

In an earlier blog I have reflected on the capacity to make a Lasting Power of Attorney, this blog moves on to address how to assess capacity and make decisions on behalf of someone else once a Lasting Power of Attorney has been registered.

A question I am asked often by LPA clients is “what if I change address?” This blog summarises the changes you need to report to the Office of the Public Guardian and provides the links to contact.

I wrote about the capacity to make a Lasting Power of Attorney after attending an Open Justice Court of Protection hearing. The focus of the hearing cantered on capacity; however, it also heightened my awareness of deputies and the difference between an attorney and a deputy, something I’ll focus on in this blog.

”The lasting power of attorney (LPA) was introduced in 2007. It was designed to provide more flexibility and greater protections than its predecessor, the enduring power of attorney (EPA). However, the world is changing and people increasingly want to access services digitally. Digital channels provide many opportunities to improve access and speed of service, but they also require us to think anew about the safeguards we put in place in such systems.”

In this blog I share recent experiences at the Court of Protection where I learned more about capacity to make a Lasting Power of Attorney

Working in partnership is always exciting and today I am so pleased to be able to share a brand-new partnership. I have been a long-time fan of the My Future Care Handbook and had the pleasure of interviewing the CEO and Founder of My Care Matters Zoe Harris in the My Care Matters podcast earlier this year.

This blog shares how to use the Offiice of the Public Guardian’s on line Lasting Power of Attorney checking process.

Much of the work I do advocates for improved professional understanding and public awareness; I aim to normalise Advance Care Planning and work towards transforming Difficult Conversations into Important Conversations. I follow with great respect the work of international colleagues and in this blog would like to highlight Advance Care Planning in Canada; the resources available and imminent ACP Day 2022 and the work of the Waiting Room Revolution team.

I saw there was an option between a solicitor and the DIY approach and set out to provide an affordable, personalised approach to making a Lasting Power of Attorney. I provide assurance that forms submitted meet the stringent Office of the Public Guardian guidelines and minimise the chance of applications being rejected.

As a campaigner for Advance Care Planning and normalising discussion about this important part of life I was overjoyed this week to receive a call from one of my clients. The call was to share an article she had read about Lasting Power of Attorney and what I will call very founded fears. I promised our conversation would be the starting point for my next blog.

In January 2022 I launched Conversations About Advance Care Planning The podcast has evolved from my passion to support professional understanding and raise public awareness about Advance Care Planning, it’s aims to normalise conversations and show the many elements of Advance Care Planning.

I am interested in Digital Legacy as part of Advance Care Planning, and keen to learn more about this emerging element of planning ahead. The aim of this blog is to raise the awareness of Digital Legacy as part of Advance Care Planning and to share resources available to help make a Digital Legacy.

Uncomfortable questions were raised for me when I witnessed the hearing (COP 13861502 Re MW) on 13th December 2021 before Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division (also blogged here: “Patient dies in hospital as Trust fails to comply with Mental Capacity Act 2005”). Read more here

The New Year brings a time of reflection and resolutions to ourselves and others, promises to get fit, lose weight or find that magic work life balance. I wrote last year about one resolution to make a real difference- deciding who would speak for you by making a Lasting Power of Attorney , this year I want to raise awareness of the resources available to help start those important conversations and document plans.

There is a neglected side to LPAs I think, the what next bit. By this I mean what should you do once an LPA is registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. I have already written about the nuances checking the validity of an LPA here and here covering key factual information; this blog focuses less on facts and more on actions.

When is it too late to make a Lasting Power of Attorney? I am a nurse and my thinking aligns to holistic assessment. I approach assessments with consideration of the physical, psychological and emotional elements that make us who we are and I realised this week that those principles hold fast when making a Lasting Power of Attorney.

This blog is dedicated to a fabulous business woman, Tara Humphrey. I have been lucky to both work with Tara and to experience Tara’s business coaching; Tara works with a focus and shares with honesty what has helped her grow such a successful business. Listening to Tara on a couple of her recent podcasts made me reflect and take action, two things neatly covered in this one blog.

In the Court of Protection recently, I observed what can happen when a person who has since lost capacity has appointed an LPA (for both Finance and Property and for Health and Welfare) but it’s not working well.