Prime Minister becomes a ‘Dementia Friend’

Prime Minister David Cameron has become a ‘Dementia Friend’ as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the illness and the traumas it can cause.

The initiative is being promoted by the Alzheimer’s Society, the Department of Health and the Office for Civil Society.

The number of dementia sufferers in the UK is set to double in the next 30 years. As well as health issues for sufferers, there are also practical matters relating to how their financial and business affairs should be managed.

Sufferers may have to rely on their families to make important decisions for them, but this can be difficult if legal arrangements have not been made in advance. Families may have to go through complicated court procedures to be granted authority to manage the sufferer’s affairs.

You may not be able to predict your future health but it is possible to put procedures in place so that people you trust will be able help you if you do fall ill in the future.

The best way to do this is by setting up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). An LPA enables you to nominate someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you ever lose the ability to do so yourself through illnesses such as dementia.

The property and finance LPA allows you to appoint someone to look after your financial affairs and the personal welfare LPA lets you grant an attorney authority over such matters as health care and the kind of treatment you receive.

Please contact Nicola Denton-Masih or Meg Cooper if you would like more information about Lasting Powers of Attorney.