Filling in the welfare POA for my husband

[Am59]

I am going to do the welfare poa this weekend for my husband who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's dementia recently.
I don't know what sort of wishes or needs should be included in it. When I ask my husband he doesn't know what he would want. Thank you.

 

[Bod]

Leave your options open.
Things will change later, in an unpredictable way.

Bod

 

[canary]

I agree - keep it simple. Otherwise you might find yourself locked into something that is no longer appropriate

 

[Beate]

Don't put any wishes in! Simply fill in the necessary contact details, tick the necessary boxes and get the necessary signatures in the right order. Believe me, anything else will just complicate things.

 

[Wakky]

Can I ask a question relating to this thread? My husband has very recently been diagnosed with very early Alzheimer's. We are both going to do POAs for both property and finance and for Health and welfare as we have no way of knowing which of us will die first!!! He is currently managing everything as he did before and most people would not notice anything wrong at all. Do we just get someone to sign his form to say he is not being coerced etc, or do we have to get someone to sign for mental capacity even at this early stage?

 

[prittlewell]

Can I ask a question relating to this thread? My husband has very recently been diagnosed with very early Alzheimer's. We are both going to do POAs for both property and finance and for Health and welfare as we have no way of knowing which of us will die first!!! He is currently managing everything as he did before and most people would not notice anything wrong at all. Do we just get someone to sign his form to say he is not being coerced etc, or do we have to get someone to sign for mental capacity even at this early stage?

Who are you giving LPA to? Who are going to be your Attorney’s? You will need someone other than the Attorney to sign the paperwork (certificate provider ) and they should assure themselves that you both have capacity to understand what you are doing, and who you are appointing.

 

[Wakky]

Who are you giving LPA to? Who are going to be your Attorney’s? You will need someone other than the Attorney to sign the paperwork (certificate provider ) and they should assure themselves that you both have capacity to understand what you are doing, and who you are appointing.

I will be attorney together with my eldest son, for my husband. A colleague of his, who has known him for years will sign as certificate provider. My two sons will be attorneys for me as I expect that in the years to come my husband will not be capable. I intend to ask one of my ex-NHS colleagues to sign as certificate provider for me. Does that sound ok?

 

[Beate]

That sounds perfect.

Unless you think there might be trouble later from relatives, you don't need a mental health assessment. The certificate provider attests to the donor understanding the document and not being coerced to sign it.

If you have more than one attorney, they can apply jointly or jointly and severally. If they get on and are on the same page, go for jointly and severally, so they don't have to sign everything together.

 

[Wakky]

That sounds perfect.

Unless you think there might be trouble later from relatives, you don't need a mental health assessment. The certificate provider attests to the donor understanding the document and not being coerced to sign it.

If you have more than one attorney, they can apply jointly or jointly and severally. If they get on and are on the same page, go for jointly and severally, so they don't have to sign everything together.

Thank you so much for that advice. I am sure there will be no problems with my other 2 children (my daughter said, "0h God, mum, please don't ask me, I wouldn't know what to do!)
I want to get these done for both of us while he is in the very early days. Thank you again

 

[nitram]

@Wakky

You can also self certify copies of the LPAs validated by the OPG
Scroll down https://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/threads/query-about-mental-capacity-and-lpa.120044/#post-1691250 for an easy to do it.

 

[Am59]

Thanks for your replies 're the welfare POA. So if I don't put any wishes in it then if and when he loses mental capacity, the authorities/medics won't have to do anything he might want. What are the benefits of it?

 

[Beate]

No, you will be his attorney. You will be who they deal with as if you were him, and you will hopefully make decisions that are in his best interest. Putting in wishes beforehand just complicates things. Some people put in that it can't be activated before a mental capacity assessment has been done. That's just storing up trouble, as doctors hate doing them. Keep it simple.

 

[Bod]

No, you will be his attorney. You will be who they deal with as if you were him, and you will hopefully make decisions that are in his best interest. Putting in wishes beforehand just complicates things. Some people put in that it can't be activated before a mental capacity assessment has been done. That's just storing up trouble, as doctors hate doing them. Keep it simple.

+1 from me "Keep it simple"
Gives you the widest range of decisions, for an uncertain future.

Bod

 

[Am59]

+1 from me "Keep it simple"
Gives you the widest range of decisions, for an uncertain future.

Bod

Thanks all of you.