31/01/2017
Louise Rance
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics have revealed that dementia, including Alzheimer's, has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales.
More than 61,000 people were victims of dementia in 2015, equating to 11.6% of all deaths registered. Women who died of the condition accounted for twice as many as men - 41,283 as opposed to 20,403.
According to Alzeihmer’s Society, there are 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. Around 225,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year; roughly one person every three minutes.
Although age is the most obvious contributing factor, around one in 20 people (over 40,000) living with dementiaare under the age of 65. One in six over the age of 80 have the condition and 70% of those in care homes suffer from dementia or severe memory problems.
While most people think of dementia as a disease it’s actually an over-arching term used to describe the signs that appear when brain cells stop working properly. It’s a progressive condition which means that over time the structure and chemistry of the brain becomes increasingly damaged, leaving a person with a declining ability to remember or understand and communicate
Being diagnosed with dementia ultimately means there will be issues with maintaining your independence and as your metal ability starts to fail, it’s important to know that there’s someone who will look after your interests when the time comes that you can’t do it yourself.
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that gives someone nominated by you (your attorney) the authority to make decisions on your behalf. There are two types of LPAs. The first allows your attorney to handle your financial affairs, such as any property and savings you may have. The second addresses your personal welfare, such as the medical treatment you should receive or where you live. Don’t worry about giving up control of your finances or treatment suddenly, you can choose when your Lasting Power of Attorney becomes effective.
An LPA also prevents family or friends having to apply for similar powers in the future, which can be an expensive and time-consuming business. The key to remember is that you can only set up an LPA while you’re well because the law won’t recognise it as a legally binding document once you’ve lost capacity.
Please note that this article is meant as general guidance and not intended as legal or professional advice. Updates to the law may have changed since this article was published.