BG Power of Attorney Team out and about at Guild Care and Power of Attorney Health Check offer
Due to our longstanding professional relationship with Guild Care we were delighted to be invited to facilitate some complimentary bespoke training for their fantastic staff on the importance and potential complexities to look out for with Powers of Attorney.
Two of our specialist solicitors, Tania Clapham, Partner and Head of Private Client, and Lucy Nevill, Associate Solicitor and Head of our Care, Capacity and Court of Protection Team, spent this morning (Wednesday 27th February 2019) focusing on real life situations to illustrate and explore the benefits of appropriately drafted Powers of Attorney and the risks of defectively drafted Powers of Attorney.
Often, in a crisis of health or with the challenges of later life becoming all-consuming, the last thing that the individual, family or health professionals want to have to address are complex and problematic issues with the very legal documents that should have eased the situation and provided peace of mind.
However, in our considerable experience in this specialist area, if Powers of Attorney have been prepared a long time ago, on a DIY basis or by someone, often unregulated, with limited specialist legal knowledge and experience, the latent defects are not initially apparent and only come to light at a much later date. Sadly, this can be at a time when the options to resolve the defects may be very limited due to the health crisis or perhaps advancing dementia.
We often find that clients who are new to us understandably don’t know what they don’t know about the finer details and drafting of Powers of Attorney. This is usually due to the fact that they have no means of evaluating what their advisor may or, more importantly, may not know about this specialist area that covers vital financial, legal and healthcare matters of a personal nature. This morning was a great opportunity to debunk some myths and answer some very pertinent and practical questions.
As a result of the training and the kind initial feedback from the Guild Care Team, we believe that they are much better informed and equipped to ensure a smoother client and family experience with Guild Care and highlight any issues with the Powers of Attorney they may come into contact with. In this way, they can then focus on acting quickly and confidently in providing their specialist and person centred care that they are known for. A great example is Guild Care’s brilliant achievement in gaining the Butterfly Award early this year for their innovative approach to Dementia care at Haviland House.
We look forward to continuing to work closely with Guild Care, both with our mutual clients and their Team of dedicated carers and staff.
Ultimately, an appropriately drafted Power of Attorney that appoints appropriately advised and suitable Attorneys should help empower people to maximise their day to day experiences and opportunities. This can be by delegating tasks or, if capacity become diminished, by providing clear instructions to trusted Attorneys who know and will respect their documented preferences and priorities in life.
If you or your organisation or business would appreciate more information about Powers of Attorney or you would value the peace of mind of our 20 Point Health Check of your existing Powers of Attorney (be they Enduring or Lasting) at our expense, by telephone, then please do contact Tania Clapham, Lucy Neville or Gema West, our Associate Solicitor and Head of Wills and Powers of Attorney, and we’d be delighted to help you as your Trusted Legal Advisor.