Lasting Power of Attorney - Health Preferences and Instructions

[ScottyH]

Hello all, this is my first post and I would be grateful for any help.

A very good friend of mine had an incident before Christmas that has caused him to be shaken out of a state of denial regarding his Parkinsons and he is now much more willing to ask for help. Being close to death and now out the other side he now wants to get into place Lasting Powers of Attorney.

He knows that I have prepared these documents for others using the Government’s online facility. I am familiar with most of the workings however I would like any specific insights into health and welfare decisions that might need to be taken down the road, the sort of decisions that are likely to crop up for somebody with advanced Parkinsons who for whatever reason is unable to communicate his own wishes.

For example, one area I know that might become relevant:- one day he may no longer able to swallow.

Any others please? It’s simple bullet points that I am after rather than the ins and outs of different actions. Discussing a few examples with him will help me and the other attorneys to understand his philosophy on such matters and allow us to reach decisions in the event of unexpected situations cropping up. It will help us all decide what Health Preferences and Instructions (if any) he might choose to write into the document.

It’s a difficult subject but currently he is very fit mentally and ready to have the conversation.

Many thanks

Scott

[JaniceP]

Hi @ScottyH

A very warm welcome to the forum and thanks for your thoughtful and compassionate post. I’m sorry to hear about your friend. He is lucky to have you for support.

I hope that other members of the forum will have ideas for you and your friend. Meanwhile, you will also find information that might help you on the Parkinson’s UK website and in particular this section, which goes over legal options.

For more information and support, you can contact 0808 800 0303 and speak to one of advisers for the peer to peer service.

I hope you find this information useful and that it guides you in going forward with helping your friend.

Best wishes,
Janice
Forum Moderation Team

[Tot]

Healthfully

The above link may help you but be warned it is not an easy read.

[ScottyH]

Thank you Janice, I’ll follow that up.
There are some very useful headings under the first pull down heading on advance decisions.
Scott

[ScottyH]

Thank you. No, not an easy read, a reinforcement of what to some extent I’ve found elsewhere certainly highlighting some particular problems that could crop up if alone.

[Tot]

You are welcome but please bear in mind that this is not a list as it were of what is going to happen. Not everybody gets everything and the severity and speed of deterioration is hugely variable. I understand what you are trying to do and why but it is a fine line between that and making your friend feel his future is so bleak he may as well give up now. I sense from what you write you are aware of that but I felt it worth highlighting. Good luck to you in the challenging discussions this will bring.

[ScottyH]

Yes indeed. And don’t worry, expecting the unexpected is something I’ve long learned!