This blog looks at what an Advance Care Planning Advocate is and why I have chosen to work in this area.

Some people make a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), but don’t validate it immediately choosing instead to wait until they need it. Recently I was asked if there was an expiry date on the time from creating an LPA to validating it; the current information is that there is no expiry. Previously an LPA had to be registered within a year, but that has now changed; as long as the document has been drafted correctly and signed in the correct order there is not a limit on the date it was signed to submitting it for registration. Does this mean it’s best to wait or to register immediately? This blog explores the two options.

In the previous blog I wrote about Making my Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment and commented on specific Advance Care Planning for a person approaching the end of life; here I follow up and explore what Advance Care Planning at the end of life might look like.

It has been on my to do list for some time now. Something I wanted to do but needed to be sure I had the right detail – my Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment.

An Advance decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT) is a legal document which enables to refuse specific medical treatments in advance. In this blog I will describe what an ADRT is and how I went about making mine.

If the word journey wasn’t so overused I’d be using it now. The podcast Conversations About Advance Care Planning  started back in January and I never imagined that it would run so successfully for so long. I blogged  about the experience seven episodes in and now feel another milestone and time to reflect.

This blog explores a great resource from Hospice UK to support Advance Care Planning and specifically looks at the section for discussions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Increasingly people are asking to complete an Advance Decision to Refuse Treatment (ADRT) at the same time as a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). I am happy to support with drafting an ADRT and this blog addresses some common questions on the differences between LPAs and ADRTs.

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.