Health LPA, preferences and instructions

I'm not sure what this is? Is it a Living Will?

A living will is different, arranged with your GP - and available with your medical notes. A health/welfare LPA just appoints somebody to oversee your wishes about medical interventions, where you'd like to live etc. - but these wishes/instructions can always be overruled by doctors (sensible - as they should always be in your best interests and sometimes relatives can't make a logical judgement).

You have just jogged my memory Petera that I need to do LPAs for both health and wealth now that I’m on my own.
Thank you.

You might be better to get a solicitor to talk you through the possible options. Ours came up with scenarios we’d never have considered. I can’t remember much now, but one was whether we wanted our children to have to act jointly or if we were happy with them acting individually if necessary. You also have to think about whether you want them to make decisions themselves (as far as they are allowed) or to leave them to doctors. There were other dilemmas too, but I can’t remember. Also, you and your husband can make different decisions from one another - you don’t have to agree on everything.

I have fallen in now. Must get out out and have a look I have forgotten what we put down.

Very true Doodledog. A good solicitor will make suggestions that you haven’t considered. Also think very carefully about who you appoint. At present my husband is my sole attorney because I can trust him to go along with my wish not to have life-prolonging treatment in certain situations - my son would, I know, find that well nigh impossible.

It's a lot to ask, isn't it? Making decisions like that on behalf of someone else must always be difficult, but to do it on behalf of someone you love must be agonising.

My husband and I are one another's attorneys, and if both of us become incapable of making decisions that passes to the children.

I was in favour of leaving life and death decisions to doctors rather than put it on the children; but my daughter, who has worked in medical settings, insisted that we didn't.

You can consult the office of the public guardian too. Going through a solicitor is not absolutely necessary.

No, but ours definitely thought of things that we wouldn't have considered. It is important that everything is considered when creating a legal document that could have a huge impact on your life, and give your attorneys serious dilemmas in a worst case scenario.

Myself , DH and our 4 DD’s consulted together making one of these for DH who has Alzheimer’s. It was very emotional and sad, but we now know DH ‘s wishes for what interventions he does ,and more importantly does not wish for as his condition progresses.

We have made LPA for each of us, financial and health. The attorneys are each other, and both sons. I’m not sure what happens next. They may not be required I know, but who makes the decision about activating/invoking the LPA?

The LPA has to be registered with the OPG before it can be used and that can take a while so best done well before it might need to be used. The attorney decides when to use it.

I did ours myself - there is lots of help on the website and you just need to be methodical.

It was an absolute godsend when my OH was near the end of his life. They were going to cart him off to hospital. stick needles in him, wire him up and generally drag him back to his miserable existence. I said No. He died peacefully in the room at his nursing home with his family by his side during his 10 days of unconsciousness. It would have been cruel to take him to hospital.

petera, I did mine plus the financial POA with my solicitor. She asked me many questions and how did I feel about prolonging life, I told her and she made notes. She asked questions about circumstances that I would not have thought about.

My husband and I did have internet POAs for each other but once I was widowed, it was important for me to tie up the loose ends properly. Not something I would do via the internet. Mine was registered by the solicitor, so my dd and the reserve ds wil have a minimal amount of paperwork. None of us know what is around the corner

Thank you. Both LPAs have been registered. So no more to do, apart from hoping they won’t be needed ?

Apparently they are taking about 8 months to register at the moment.