The Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) enables you to authorise trusted family members or friends to act and make decisions on their behalf in the event they lose capacity to act for themselves – typically due to ill health. There are two types of LPA. Health and welfare and property and financial affairs. The health and welfare LPA gives an attorney the power to make decisions like:
- Your daily routine, for example washing, dressing, eating
- Medical care
- Moving into a care home
- Life-sustaining treatment
The property and financial affairs LPA gives an attorney the power to make decisions about money and property, for example:
- Managing a bank or building society account
- Paying bills
- Collecting benefits or a pension
- Selling your home
The experiences and story of TV presenter Kate Garraway and her husband Derek Draper as told in the documentary “Kate Garraway: Finding Derek” during Derek’s year-long battle with Coronavirus illustrates the importance of getting legal protection in place.