• Why Is It So Important?
• What Can You Include in a Health and Welfare LPA?
• Life-Sustaining Treatment and the Health and Welfare LPA
• Concerns About Going into Care
• Benefits of a Health and Welfare LPA
• Why Choose Ridley & Hall LPA Solicitors for Your Health and Welfare LPA?
• Start Planning Today

Why Is It So Important?

Life is unpredictable. While we cannot foresee the future, we can plan for it. One of the most vital aspects of this planning is ensuring that our loved ones are empowered to make critical decisions on our behalf if we are no longer able to.

Many people understand the value of a Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). However, the Health and Welfare LPA is just as important, if not more so, for ensuring that personal and medical decisions align with your wishes.

What Can You Include in a Health and Welfare LPA?

A Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney is a flexible and personal document. It allows the donor (the person creating the LPA) to outline specific preferences and instructions that guide their attorneys (the people appointed to make decisions) when acting on their behalf.

Examples of what can be included in a Health and Welfare LPA:

• Where the donor should live or be cared for
• What kind of medical treatment or care the donor should receive
• Dietary needs or preferences, e.g., vegetarian or religious dietary requirements
• Day-to-day routines and activities, including social contacts and personal care

Without a Health and Welfare LPA, critical decisions may be left to medical professionals or social workers, who may not know your preferences. By creating an LPA, you allow your chosen attorneys—those who know and understand you—to retain control and make decisions with your wishes in mind.

Life-Sustaining Treatment and the Health and Welfare LPA

Your LPA can include instructions about life-sustaining treatment. This refers to any medical procedure or intervention (such as medication, surgery, or life support) that keeps you alive.

Whether you want all possible measures taken to prolong your life or prefer not to be kept alive in certain circumstances, your LPA allows you to express these wishes clearly. Many people use this document to reflect commonly held feelings such as not wanting to be kept alive artificially with no quality of life, or conversely, choosing to fight for every possible outcome.

Concerns About Going into Care

Another key reason people create a Health and Welfare LPA is to express their preferences around residential care. Many have strong views about going into a care home, especially if alternatives like staying at home with support are possible.

Appointing an attorney who understands your wishes can be crucial in ensuring these preferences are honoured. Without an LPA, such decisions could be made by the local authority, who may not be aware of what you would want.

Benefits of a Health and Welfare LPA

Creating a Health and Welfare LPA:

• Ensures your health and care decisions reflect your values and preferences
• Provides peace of mind that your loved ones will be able to act on your behalf
• Prevents potential disagreements between family members during emotional times
• Reduces stress for your loved ones by giving clear guidance
• Complements your Property and Financial Affairs LPA, ensuring both financial and welfare decisions are covered

Without this LPA, your attorneys under a Property and Financial Affairs LPA would be able to pay for your care—but not choose what type of care you receive. This could result in decisions being made by the local authority, which may not align with your wishes.

Why Choose Ridley & Hall LPA Solicitors for Your Health and Welfare LPA?

At Ridley & Hall Solicitors, we support you every step of the way. Our team offers a comprehensive, face-to-face consultation to help you understand what a Health and Welfare LPA means for you.

We:

• Guide you through your options in clear, simple language
• Draft your LPA based on your instructions
• Help coordinate signatures from all relevant parties
• Register the document with the Office of the Public Guardian, keeping you updated throughout

All you need to do is tell us what you want and sign—we’ll take care of the rest.

Start Planning Today

If you haven’t yet created a Health and Welfare LPA, now is the time to act. Safeguard your future care, protect your preferences, and reduce stress for your loved ones.

Holly Thurlbeck – Apprentice Solicitor