power of attorney

[wheelrace]

has anyone had dealings with power of attorney I have been reluctant to do this as I felt I was taking decisions out of geoffs hands but now one or two things have occurred that are a worry the only problem now is Geoff cant write now he can understand things but probably could not sign he made clear his decisions to me early on but we are under a bit of pressure on one or things could I still apply for oneany advice out there please doreen

[JR61]

Yes we did them a few years before my dad became ill, they are relatively simple to do online. You need one for finance and one for health and welfare and they make dealing with officialdom much simpler and cheaper. Here is a link for you which may be of assistance Ruth x

ageuk.org.uk/information-ad...

And this is the Government site link

gov.uk/power-of-attorney

Don’t forget to register them too the site give good advice on completing them etc

It may be that you need to go via a solicitor to establish his wishes, as you say he cannot sign paperwork but if the solicitor is able to establish competency this it needs to be done ASAP, given the unpredictability of PSP, otherwise every decision will require Court of Protextion authority,I believe, which can be avoided hopefully. .

Good luck hope it helps x

[wheelrace in reply to JR61]

many thanks to you all once again have started the poa and I have a meeting tomorrow with our doctor have a few concerns Geoff is very poorly in hospital at the moment pneumonia and a shadow on his lung they are treating him with lots of anti biotics but he does look poorly I keep having to remind them to feed him I am also asking the doctor about funding so I will be back to kevin is just me or does anyone else feel its always a battle to make people understand I have always tried to be a happy person and I hate to be seen as grumpy but I will fight geoffs corner no matter what hes special

[Zeberdee]

Before my hubby passed away our solicitor arranged Power of attorney for health and finance. It was explained to him that he would be involved in all decisions made and nothing would be done without his consent and although he was unable to speak we used the blinking method, one for yes two for no. When diagnosed he made it clear that he didn’t want a peg fitted and also wanted a DNR put in place and that we did. You are at a difficult time but these steps are essential. Hope this has helped a little. Love. Jxx

[Kevin_1]

Hi Doreen

You've got two perfect replies, but I would add:

They do not take effect until activated. So get them and put them in your back pocket until needed.

They give us a sense of security.

[Yvonneandgeorge]

Age concern came around and did our very efficient xxxx

[allotmentartist]

We did one for both of us when mick was diagnosed,same with funeral plans now they are put away and forgotten about until needed,it gave us both peace of mind to get everything organised but everyone is different x x

[Dadshelper]

I got PoA and Durable Power of Health Care before we actually had any idea of what was really going on. We did it because his writing was getting so bad he couldn't sign anything.

I've had to use it once so far in an emergency when he got a blocked bowel and need surgery. Luckily it was all in place and there was no waiting around trying to figure out who was going to give permission.

Just to avoid confusion I made a PDF out of both documents and have them on my phone, just in case something needs to be done ASAP. I also have copies on file at 2 hospitals he'd probably go to in case of emergency.

Ron

[wheelrace]

many thanks once again I will get to it on Monday I am very tired at the moment Geoff had an emergency yesterday his blood pressure was 225 over 125 we had paramedic blue light to hospital the amazing thing is and I don't expect them to know everything but adam the paramedic knew nothing about psp but he did save geoffs life he was critical I came home early hours to see to our cat went back and I asked Geoff what he had had to eat and he said nothing [shook his head] I asked the nurse she also knew nothing of psp and said she tried to feed him but he started to cough so stopped feeding him I was amazed so I got him some Weetabix milk and fed him also a good youghout she said now ive seen you do it I will give him a soft shepherds pie at tea sometimes I despair he has had 12 bags of anti biotics and he looks better not out of the woods yet but his struggle is getting harder we did smile though because he was fitting it was difficult to move him as he was very rigid so we ended up with para medic car ambulance and a fire engine !!! we have grab bars and they couldn't lift him over to the trolley hence four burly firemen but all were great I cant thank them enough we certainly have our moments many thanks everyone

[LostinHeadSpace]

What a scare! Whew. Wish I could pour you a glass of wine. Hope he is feeling better and you are getting some rest.

[Tippyleaf]

I have POA for finance but have not yet ‘activated’ this. We are close to that point but I have now become a 3rd Party on my husbands bank accounts which is really helpful- I monitor his account and move money as necessary. The only think I can’t do is take out a loan or close the account. Maybe worth exploring?? We have updated my husbands signature with his bank twice over recent years - it now bears no resemblance to his previous signature!

I know I will need to activate POA but the 3rd Party has been a sort of half way house for us.

Love Tippy

[longsuffering]

Do this ASAP

It will save so much hassle when you need it-as when you are in desperate need of it-it possibly won't be possible to do it

PS i am a lawyer and more than that-one of this unique club that no-one volunteers to joithe famiies of psp

[AnneandChris]

Hi Doreen

Chris and I did Power of Attourneys just after he was diagnosed. There are two types, the first a financial one, the second medical.

We have only done the financial one. This can be done on line with a registration fee of just over £100 each, or you can go to a solicitor. On line is straight forward, the most complicated bit being the signatures which have to be done in sequence.

We really ought to do the medical one next!

I do recommend doing it, as I now totally manage all our affairs and Chris now has difficulty I signing anything.

Keep on, keeping on

AnneandChris x

[Kevin_1 in reply to AnneandChris]

Please, do the health one too.

When it comes to difficult times it will give you the power to let him go quietly and with dignity.

You so don't want to be arguing legalities with doctors at that time.

Sorry to be blunt. I hope I have not upset you.

xx

[AnneandChris in reply to Kevin_1]

Kevin

Of course not. Unfortunately my Mother went into end of life care end September with CHI funding and sadly died at the end of February at the grand age of 98.5, so I have been tied up with all her admin. Doing the health one is now high on my list of priorities, particularly as Chris has deteriorated since my Mother died.

Your advice is invaluable and much appreciated.

Regards

Anne

[Kevin_1 in reply to AnneandChris]

Hi Anne

I'm sorry, you sound like you are having a very tough time.

Wishing you the best with it.Best

Kevin

[kenh1]

Very important. I filled in the forms myself on the court of protection website. It is important to do it for health and welfare as well as for finance and also to do it while you are fit and able. I did my wife's when she was first getting ill with CBD, her signature is hardly recognisable but was accepted. The court of protection website is very helpful and you don't need to register it and pay the fee until you or your loved one are unable to act for themselves. If you are uncertain of doing it yourself it is worth paying a solicitor to do it for you and while your at it do it for yourself.

[NickSE5]

Yes, I have a Power of Attorney in place . Haven't had to use it yet , but reassuring that it is there. The website works really well - try and use it (avoid solicitors' fees).

[Lucy602]

You should pursue that. It's always a good idea to have that in place for when it is needed. Check into it.

[johns65]

It would be to your advantage if you get the Power of Attorney for health and finance done as soon as possible. We were glad we did it in advance of my husband going to the nusing home. Hope this helps, and good luck on your journey. Joyce