Power of Attorney for health and welfare

Singing Friend

Registered User
Nov 5, 2014
27
0
London
Does anyone know how to go about setting up a Power of Attorney for health? My mum signed an Enduring Power of Attorney form many years ago when it only covered financial issues, and I have now had that registered and have begun to sort things out for her.

However she lives 250+ miles away from me! One of my sisters lives with her and has been to all her medical appointments, and the local GP, hospital people, etc know her and are willing to discuss things with her. But I am a bit concerned that if something happened where decisions have to be made there is nothing formal in place. There is also another sister who lives locally and who often has mum to stay, so it would make sense for both of them to be named.

Mum was diagnosed with dementia about a year ago and can't remember stuff from the immediate past, but does seem to be able to understand what she is doing a lot of the time. (For example she has just telephoned me - which has got me thinking about all this - to ask me to arrange for an 18th birthday present to be paid to one of her grandchildren as she had remembered about that and has already sent a card!) So does anyone know if she might still be able to set up a Power of Attorney for health and welfare if we go to the local solicitor (who does know her)?

I'm going to see her in about a month's time, so thought it might be good to try and sort out what needs to be done before then so we can perhaps make some decisions.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
If your mother understands in the moment what it's for and what she is signing, then she should still be ok to give LPA. You are right, it is a good idea to get one set up. You can call the Office of Public Guardian for the forms or fill it in online. It costs £110 to register unless your mother is on qualifying benefits or low income. To be honest, an LPA can easily be set up without the help of a solicitor, and charities can also help if you are unsure about something. There is plenty of free help for this out there - it is not a requirement to pay a solicitor hundreds of pounds for it, though obviously that's your own decision.
 

Girlonthehill

Registered User
Jan 1, 2015
32
0
Dorset
If your mother understands in the moment what it's for and what she is signing, then she should still be ok to give LPA. You are right, it is a good idea to get one set up. You can call the Office of Public Guardian for the forms or fill it in online. It costs £110 to register unless your mother is on qualifying benefits or low income. To be honest, an LPA can easily be set up without the help of a solicitor, and charities can also help if you are unsure about something. There is plenty of free help for this out there - it is not a requirement to pay a solicitor hundreds of pounds for it, though obviously that's your own decision.

I have just done both lpa financial and health online. Gov.uk and they have an idiots guide to filling it out. You need a couple of clothes friends not relatives to act as witnesses and it is £110 each to register each one took me about an hour but a solicitor wanted £700 to do both plus registration fee.
I thought the original enduring PA covered everything?
 

Linbrusco

Registered User
Mar 4, 2013
1,694
0
Auckland...... New Zealand
I have just done both lpa financial and health online. Gov.uk and they have an idiots guide to filling it out. You need a couple of clothes friends not relatives to act as witnesses and it is £110 each to register each one took me about an hour but a solicitor wanted £700 to do both plus registration fee.
I thought the original enduring PA covered everything?

All so easy.
In New Zealand you have to do a POA through a lawyer only.
Person granting POA has to consult one lawyer (on their own) and persons being given POA have to go to another for witnessing. Totals cost is anywhere from GBP300 - 600

The different lawyers was to prevent parents/person being pressured into giving POA
which was happening more and more with maybe one child taking the parent to the lawyer