With Alzheimer’s now effecting more people than ever before, it is increasingly important to make sure you have the correct means in place to ensure your affairs can be made appropriately on your behalf in the event you lose capacity to do this for yourself.
A Lasting Power of Attorney allows you to put these arrangements in place.
Anne Caswell explains in detail below.

TV presenter Davina McCall recently wrote about the death of her father. She described him as a “The best Dad I could ever wish for.” She had spoken before his death about the Alzheimer’s from which he suffered and how the “tell-tale signs” made her suspect that her father had the disease. He started repeating himself and struggled to find words.

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive disorders which impact memory, thinking and behaviour.

There are many different types – Alzheimer’s is the most common.

The Alzheimer’s Society reports that there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today. It is estimated that by 2025 this figure will rise to over 1 million.

Currently there is no cure for dementia, but new drugs can slow down it progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective the treatments are.

Don’t delay seeing your GP if you think that you or someone you love may have dementia.

Take some time to think about making a Lasting Power of Attorney. These are invaluable if you do lose the ability to make your own decisions.

My mum made one when she was in her 70s. My sister and I didn’t need to use it until mum was 92. Having made, what back then was called an Enduring Power of Attorney, meant that my sister and I were able to take over mum’s finances without having to make a long and expensive application to the Court of Protection. I speak from experience when I say it made a difficult time that bit less stressful for us all.

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