The Government says it’s concerned that not enough people are making Lasting Powers of Attorney. So it’s announced there’s going to be a national ‘life planning day’ in 2015.
The idea is put forward in a government document called ‘Valuing every voice, respecting every right: Making the case for the Mental Capacity Act.‘ which was written in response to a House of Lords report on the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The House of Lords looked at public awareness of the Mental Capacity Act and found that many people, including health and social care professionals, most banks and many public agencies are still not fully aware of the Act or simply don’t understand it properly. As a result the House of Lords made 39 recommendations to the Government on how to improve awareness and training about the Mental Capacity Act.
The Government has responded by suggesting a national event in 2015. The ‘life planning day’ will aim to raise awareness of the Mental Capacity Act and find out the views of the public and professionals on improving understanding of the Act.
The national event will also try to encourage more people to make Lasting Powers of Attorney. The Government wants everyone to make Lasting Powers of Attorney as a matter of course – something we automatically think about doing.
At the moment most people only make a Lasting Power of Attorney when they suddenly face a crisis in their health. Very often this is too late. If they have already lost the mental capacity necessary to make a Lasting Power of Attorney they won’t be able to make a valid document. The only option left in that situation is for a deputy to be appointed by the Court of Protection to manage their affairs and make decisions on their behalf that they are no longer able to make for themselves. This is a much more complex and expensive solution than planning ahead and making a Lasting Power of Attorney.
The idea is put forward in a government document called ‘Valuing every voice, respecting every right: Making the case for the Mental Capacity Act.‘ which was written in response to a House of Lords report on the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The House of Lords looked at public awareness of the Mental Capacity Act and found that many people, including health and social care professionals, most banks and many public agencies are still not fully aware of the Act or simply don’t understand it properly. As a result the House of Lords made 39 recommendations to the Government on how to improve awareness and training about the Mental Capacity Act.
The Government has responded by suggesting a national event in 2015. The ‘life planning day’ will aim to raise awareness of the Mental Capacity Act and find out the views of the public and professionals on improving understanding of the Act.
The national event will also try to encourage more people to make Lasting Powers of Attorney. The Government wants everyone to make Lasting Powers of Attorney as a matter of course – something we automatically think about doing.
At the moment most people only make a Lasting Power of Attorney when they suddenly face a crisis in their health. Very often this is too late. If they have already lost the mental capacity necessary to make a Lasting Power of Attorney they won’t be able to make a valid document. The only option left in that situation is for a deputy to be appointed by the Court of Protection to manage their affairs and make decisions on their behalf that they are no longer able to make for themselves. This is a much more complex and expensive solution than planning ahead and making a Lasting Power of Attorney.