Power of Attorney worries!

[Emmy_83]

Hello again. My dad is in hospital after a UTI gave his AS/Vascular Dementia another kick. Today I took the Power of Attorney forms into the hospital to ask if the doctor would sign them so my mother and I can have them ready to register when the time comes. The discharge manger asked the doctor but she came back and said he had refused because my dad "fluctuated". I asked whether the doctor would come to my dad's bedside while we went through the forms. Again she said he wouldn't.

I had just sat and gone through the forms and what they meant with my dad and he was happy with us to go ahead with both the welfare and finance ones.

Now having read the MHA and the POA advice i thought it was only if my dad had no capacity that we couldn't fill in the POA.

I am worried enough about my father and what is to come and feel i have nowhere else to turn. It looks like he could be in hospital for another week or two at least as they are working on his mobility. Other than that they have said he is as medically fit as possible.

Can anyone offer any advice on how else i can go about having the POA forms signed so i can at least have piece of mind this is sorted out? Everyone at the hospital seems to know so little about POA and the MCA. It is VERY frustrating. My mother and I have enough to worry about without having to worry about that too (my dad owns their house and pays all the bills). I explained this but it fell on deaf ears today.

 

[jenniferpa]

You don't have to have a doctor or similar as the certificate provider, it could be simply a friend who has known your father well for at least two years. Do you have anyone around like that?

 

[Raggedrobin]

yes i got mum's cleaner to sign it, although it isn't meant to be an employee, so we just put her down as a friend.

 

[Emmy_83]

He keeps himself to himself really as being 87 sadly most of his friends have already passed on. I think there is one couple who we could ask? Could we use them as both? Will they be contacted after we put them down as POA? I'll let them know to expect it if so.

 

[SWMBO1950]

Yes I have just signed some for neighbours who dont need them yet but want them comppleted - just in case!

 

[Emmy_83]

Ah great thanks for the replies. I'll ask them and let them know that they may be contacted about it - although would that be before or after it is registered?

 

[mrjelly]

Ah great thanks for the replies. I'll ask them and let them know that they may be contacted about it - although would that be before or after it is registered?

Before you send the forms off, one of the friends would need to sign the LPA application as a "certificate provider" to say he/she believed your Dad understood what he was signing and had not been put under any improper influence.

The other friend just has to be named, and they will get a letter when you send the LPA to be registered.

 

[Raggedrobin]

Yes it is difficult finding someone to do it when most pals have died off. Also, it depends on whether the friend/neighbour is willing to say that the person is still capable of making the decision for pow when in reality they may be borderline. It says on the form what they are certifying and they could be contacted but hopefully not. Good luck with it, it is taking about 9 weeks to come through at the moment, I am waiting for ours to be done.