Hi all
You all offered such great advice previously. However i have now ran into a roadblock with the GP. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Here is a summary.
1. My father has onset of dementia and also has clinical paranoias which is all based around his finances. He has been formally assessed under section 2 but not deemed to be at risk of harming himself or others so was not detained, although they acknowledge that he needs help.
2. My father is in complete denial that there is a problem and will not accept help or take the prescribed tablets
3. I have both financial and wellbeing lasting POA but if i use it my father will cancel it.
4. Dads is now at significant risk of being scammed and loosing physically his money as he is now carrying all docs with him and leaving the bag in public places due to memory issues etc (significant amount)
I spoke to the OPG who were great in advising that they need a letter from his GP to stop him cancelling it as soon as i s use the LPA to speak to the banks etc to ensure his money is secure. However the GP is not helping? (see his response below). Is there a way I can get a private assessment as i am now stuck?
Copy and past of letter sent to the GP-
"Unfortunately dads mental health has continued to go downhill. Over the last month he has had issues with Barclays, Natwest, Santander, his Finacial Advisor, Cruising club, and EE. He is paranoid that the banks are stealing his money and is visiting them on almost a daily basis. He is carrying all of his finacial documents with him in a carrier bag and due to his poor memory he often leaves it behind (he has done this in both the police station and bank). He is at significant risk of being scammed or having his money stolen. Moreover he is cancelling all of his insurances and taking out new phone and electricity contracts when he is already under contract. He thinks he is saving a few pounds but it's actually costing him hundreds. He is now trying to foreclose on the banks and withdraw hundreds of thousands of pounds which we believe he will try and keep with him.
He is clearly no longer able to manage his financial estate and as a family we now believe that it is time to secure it even though it will be against his will. As you know. He is in complete denial that there is an issue and will not accept help.
As soon as we use the LPA he will contact the OPG to cancel the order and will go to the bank and undo everything we have done to make his estate secure. I have taken advice from the OPG. They say we can use the LPA without a letter from his GP. However, if we send them a letter letter from his GP stating that he does not have the mental capacity to manage his finances they will not let him cancel the LPA and undo all of the positive things we have put in place to safeguard his finances.
He is still able to cook, clean and manage his daily living so this area remain unaffected.
Should you need supporting evidence from the banks or dads financial advisor I can request these as they are also worried about him. I have attached a letter dad has recently and sent to Canada Life as an example of his lack of capacity. Naturally the allegations are completely untrue, dad simply forgot that this is what he had done a few months earlier. This letter caused his finial advisor lots of problems assail allegations need to be investigated no matter how untrue they are. There are similar issues being created for members of staff at Santander, Barclays and Natwest banks who dad has also falsely accusing of stealing money.
REPLY FROM GP
Thank you for your email concerning your father. I have checked with my Medical Defence Union concerning my competency to carry out an assessment for your father, please see below their statement to me.
‘Having spoken to the Medical Defence Union on 29.10.19 and according to GMC regulations, I do not have the competency to carry out an assessment on the ability of your father to manage his finances or make any pronouncement on his ability to manage his finances.’
Even if I had the competences required by the GMC, I still have to let your father know why I am assessing his capacity, which will be contrary to your last paragraph in your email.
I have also been advised that you have Lasting Power Of Attorney for his finances; you should be able to use this if convinced that your father lacks capacity and if he cancels the Lasting Power of Attorney then this should be taken up in court to redress the situation. I have been advised that the right person to carry out this assessment is a psychiatrist.
With that being said, I have checked your fathers medical notes and see that on 20.03.19 an assessment under Mental Health Act 1983 was carried out by myself at your father’s home – below are my findings at this time: -
It is evident that Mr experiences delusional thoughts regarding his finances and other belongings, however, at the time of the assessment being carried out under the Mental Health Act 1983 Mr xxx did not appear to be suffering from a mental disorder of a nature and degree which warranted detention in a hospital in the interest of his own health or the safety or with a view to protection of other persons.
A Mental Health Act 1983 assessment was also carried out on 14.11.2018 with similar presentation.
Any advice would be much apprecoiated as I now do n to know which way to turn to help dad....
You all offered such great advice previously. However i have now ran into a roadblock with the GP. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Here is a summary.
1. My father has onset of dementia and also has clinical paranoias which is all based around his finances. He has been formally assessed under section 2 but not deemed to be at risk of harming himself or others so was not detained, although they acknowledge that he needs help.
2. My father is in complete denial that there is a problem and will not accept help or take the prescribed tablets
3. I have both financial and wellbeing lasting POA but if i use it my father will cancel it.
4. Dads is now at significant risk of being scammed and loosing physically his money as he is now carrying all docs with him and leaving the bag in public places due to memory issues etc (significant amount)
I spoke to the OPG who were great in advising that they need a letter from his GP to stop him cancelling it as soon as i s use the LPA to speak to the banks etc to ensure his money is secure. However the GP is not helping? (see his response below). Is there a way I can get a private assessment as i am now stuck?
Copy and past of letter sent to the GP-
"Unfortunately dads mental health has continued to go downhill. Over the last month he has had issues with Barclays, Natwest, Santander, his Finacial Advisor, Cruising club, and EE. He is paranoid that the banks are stealing his money and is visiting them on almost a daily basis. He is carrying all of his finacial documents with him in a carrier bag and due to his poor memory he often leaves it behind (he has done this in both the police station and bank). He is at significant risk of being scammed or having his money stolen. Moreover he is cancelling all of his insurances and taking out new phone and electricity contracts when he is already under contract. He thinks he is saving a few pounds but it's actually costing him hundreds. He is now trying to foreclose on the banks and withdraw hundreds of thousands of pounds which we believe he will try and keep with him.
He is clearly no longer able to manage his financial estate and as a family we now believe that it is time to secure it even though it will be against his will. As you know. He is in complete denial that there is an issue and will not accept help.
As soon as we use the LPA he will contact the OPG to cancel the order and will go to the bank and undo everything we have done to make his estate secure. I have taken advice from the OPG. They say we can use the LPA without a letter from his GP. However, if we send them a letter letter from his GP stating that he does not have the mental capacity to manage his finances they will not let him cancel the LPA and undo all of the positive things we have put in place to safeguard his finances.
He is still able to cook, clean and manage his daily living so this area remain unaffected.
Should you need supporting evidence from the banks or dads financial advisor I can request these as they are also worried about him. I have attached a letter dad has recently and sent to Canada Life as an example of his lack of capacity. Naturally the allegations are completely untrue, dad simply forgot that this is what he had done a few months earlier. This letter caused his finial advisor lots of problems assail allegations need to be investigated no matter how untrue they are. There are similar issues being created for members of staff at Santander, Barclays and Natwest banks who dad has also falsely accusing of stealing money.
REPLY FROM GP
Thank you for your email concerning your father. I have checked with my Medical Defence Union concerning my competency to carry out an assessment for your father, please see below their statement to me.
‘Having spoken to the Medical Defence Union on 29.10.19 and according to GMC regulations, I do not have the competency to carry out an assessment on the ability of your father to manage his finances or make any pronouncement on his ability to manage his finances.’
Even if I had the competences required by the GMC, I still have to let your father know why I am assessing his capacity, which will be contrary to your last paragraph in your email.
I have also been advised that you have Lasting Power Of Attorney for his finances; you should be able to use this if convinced that your father lacks capacity and if he cancels the Lasting Power of Attorney then this should be taken up in court to redress the situation. I have been advised that the right person to carry out this assessment is a psychiatrist.
With that being said, I have checked your fathers medical notes and see that on 20.03.19 an assessment under Mental Health Act 1983 was carried out by myself at your father’s home – below are my findings at this time: -
It is evident that Mr experiences delusional thoughts regarding his finances and other belongings, however, at the time of the assessment being carried out under the Mental Health Act 1983 Mr xxx did not appear to be suffering from a mental disorder of a nature and degree which warranted detention in a hospital in the interest of his own health or the safety or with a view to protection of other persons.
A Mental Health Act 1983 assessment was also carried out on 14.11.2018 with similar presentation.
Any advice would be much apprecoiated as I now do n to know which way to turn to help dad....
