[English] - [Cymraeg]
To mark dementia action, mental health, and action for brain injury awareness weeks, we look at three scenarios when a lasting power of attorney (LPA) might be helpful.
An LPA makes it easier for the people you trust to support you with making decisions when you need it most. It could be a temporary or long-term need. Lots of people think their partner or relative can legally make decisions for them if they lose mental capacity – but this isn’t the case. You would need an LPA in place with someone you trust, known as an attorney. They could then pay your bills (with a property and financial affairs LPA) or make decisions about your care (with a health and welfare LPA).
Living with dementia and using an LPA
Dementia describes a set of symptoms which may include memory loss, problems with language, confusion and needing help with daily tasks. For people with dementia, everyday tasks like paying bills or buying groceries can be difficult.
Jaina Engineer, Knowledge Services Manager at Alzheimer’s Society says:
“Sadly dementia gets worse over time so it’s likely that a person with the condition will need someone to make decisions on their behalf at some point in the future.
“LPAs can make things easier and give peace of mind for those living with dementia. If they become unable to manage their affairs or pay bills, or make decisions about their care and treatment like whether to have surgery, someone they have chosen and trust can do this for them.”
Trudy Brown tells us of her and her mum’s experience with LPAs:
“During Covid, mum didn’t have enough capacity to understand why she needed to go to hospital in an emergency ambulance. As she was conscious, the paramedics needed her consent. As her health and welfare attorney, I was able to make the decision for her to go to hospital. When Mum gained a little more capacity, she thanked me for ‘saving her life.
“As I’m also mum’s financial attorney, I could evidence mum’s self-funding capability to enable a hospital discharge into her preferred nursing home. Thankfully we’d chatted about this particular nursing home a few years before she lost mental capacity and she’s very happy as a permanent resident.”
Long term mental health problems and using an LPA
Depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are all examples of long-term mental health problems. They’re ongoing and can have a big impact on someone's life. They can make it difficult for people to do everyday things.
Someone with a long-term mental health problem might have short-term episodes where their symptoms worsen, so there might be cases where an LPA is needed for specific situations or events.
Rheian Davies, Head of Mind’s Legal Unit said:
“An LPA can give assurance to someone that should they become too unwell to manage their finances themselves, people they trust will be looking after their money and making the choices that they would have made. There is also the reassurance that when they are feeling better, as most people do, they can take full control of their money again.
“Managing bills for your household can be difficult at the best of times, never mind when your mental health is poor. Having an LPA means that they can make sure that your bills are settled. Or, if you run into financial difficulty that the person you have appointed can negotiate with suppliers or creditors so that you are not bothered by them on top of being unwell.”
Brain injury and having an LPA in place
While many people recover quickly after a minor head injury, this isn’t always the case. Some people experience longer-term effects and may spend time in a coma, or a longer ‘reduced awareness state’. During the early stages of recovery, brain injury survivors often go through a stage called ‘post-traumatic amnesia’, where they have no continuous memory of day-to-day events and their behaviour may be very uncharacteristic and confused.
Having an LPA in place protects the choices of the brain injury survivor, as someone they trust would be able to make decisions on their behalf. Often these are decisions that can be discussed and planned for ahead of needing them.
Colin Morris, Communications Director at Headway – the brain injury association commented:
“During action for brain injury week, one of the key messages we are sharing is that brain injury can happen to anyone at any time.
“Whether it is caused by a stroke, fall, car collision, tumour or assault, a brain injury can occur without warning and often leave the person with cognitive problems. This can impair their ability to understand consequences of decisions and potentially put them at risk of harm.
“Long-term arrangements such as a lasting power of attorney are often imperative so brain injury survivors have someone who can make decisions in their best interests. It can be a great comfort to know that someone is there looking after their welfare.”
No individual’s experience is the same, but something that links all of these scenarios is that they are often unpredictable. Creating an LPA before you need it helps protect your future choices, and makes it easier for the people you trust to make decisions for you on your behalf. For more information and guidance visit www.gov.uk/opg.
Thank you to Alzheimer’s Society, Mind and Headway for their support and advice for this blog.
[English] - [Cymraeg]
I nodi wythnosau ymwybyddiaeth gweithredu ar ddementia, iechyd meddwl, a gweithredu dros anafiadau i’r ymennydd, rydym yn edrych ar dair senario lle gallai atwrneiaeth arhosol (LPA) fod yn ddefnyddiol.
Mae atwrneiaeth arhosol yn ei gwneud hi’n haws i’r bobl rydych chi’n ymddiried ynddyn nhw eich cefnogi chi i wneud penderfyniadau pan fydd ei angen fwyaf arnoch chi. Gallai fod yn angen dros dro neu’n angen tymor hir. Mae llawer o bobl yn meddwl y gall eu partner neu eu perthynas wneud penderfyniadau cyfreithiol ar eu rhan os ydynt yn colli galluedd meddyliol – ond nid yw hyn yn wir. Byddai angen i chi drefnu cael LPA gyda rhywun yr ydych yn ymddiried ynddynt, a elwir yn atwrnai. Gallent wedyn dalu eich biliau (gydag atwrneiaeth arhosol eiddo a materion ariannol) neu wneud penderfyniadau am eich gofal (gydag atwrneiaeth arhosol iechyd a lles).
Byw gyda dementia a defnyddio LPA
Mae Dementia yn disgrifio set o symptomau a allai gynnwys colli cof, problemau gydag iaith, dryswch a bod angen help gyda thasgau bob dydd. I bobl â dementia, gall tasgau bob dydd fel talu biliau neu brynu bwyd fod yn anodd.
Meddai Jaina Engineer, Rheolwr Gwasanaethau Gwybodaeth yn y Gymdeithas Alzheimer’s:
“Yn anffodus, mae dementia’n gwaethygu dros amser, felly mae’n debygol y bydd rhywun sydd â’r cyflwr angen rywun i wneud penderfyniadau ar eu rhan ar ryw adeg yn y dyfodol.
“Gall Atwrneiaethau Arhosol wneud pethau’n haws a rhoi tawelwch meddwl i’r rheini sy’n byw gyda dementia. Os na fyddan nhw’n gallu rheoli eu materion neu dalu biliau, neu wneud penderfyniadau am eu gofal a’u triniaeth, fel a ydyn nhw am gael llawdriniaeth ai peidio, gall rhywun maen nhw wedi’i ddewis ac yn ymddiried ynddynt wneud hynny iddyn nhw.”
Mae Trudy Brown yn sôn am ei phrofiad hi a’i mam gydag atwrneiaethau arhosol:
“Yn ystod Covid, doedd gan mam ddim digon o allu i ddeall pam roedd angen iddi fynd i’r ysbyty mewn ambiwlans brys. Oherwydd ei bod yn ymwybodol, roedd angen ei chaniatâd ar y parafeddygon. Fel ei hatwrnai iechyd a lles, roeddwn yn gallu gwneud y penderfyniad iddi fynd i’r ysbyty. Pan gafodd Mam ychydig yn fwy o allu, diolchodd i mi am ‘achub ei bywyd.
“Gan fy mod hefyd yn atwrnai ariannol i mam, gallwn ddangos tystiolaeth o allu mam i ariannu ei hun er mwyn ei galluogi i gael ei rhyddhau o’r ysbyty i’r cartref nyrsio o’i dewis. Yn ffodus, roedden ni wedi sgwrsio am y cartref nyrsio arbennig hwn ychydig flynyddoedd cyn iddi golli galluedd meddyliol ac mae hi’n hapus iawn fel preswylydd parhaol.”
Problemau iechyd meddwl tymor hir a defnyddio atwrneiaeth arhosol
Mae iselder, anhwylderau gorbryder, anhwylder deubegynol a sgitsoffrenia i gyd yn enghreifftiau o broblemau iechyd meddwl tymor hir. Maen nhw’n barhaus a gallan nhw gael effaith fawr ar fywyd rhywun. Gallant ei gwneud yn anodd i bobl wneud pethau bob dydd.
Efallai y bydd rhywun sydd â phroblem iechyd meddwl tymor hir yn cael cyfnodau tymor byr lle mae eu symptomau’n gwaethygu, felly efallai y bydd achosion lle mae angen LPA ar gyfer sefyllfaoedd neu ddigwyddiadau penodol.
Dywedodd Rheian Davies, Pennaeth Uned Gyfreithiol Mind:
“Gall LPA roi sicrwydd i rywun, os bydd yn mynd yn rhy sâl i reoli ei arian ei hun, y bydd pobl y mae’n ymddiried ynddynt yn gofalu am ei arian ac yn gwneud y dewisiadau y byddai wedi’u gwneud. Mae’r sicrwydd hefyd, pan fyddant yn teimlo’n well, fel y mae’r rhan fwyaf o bobl yn ei wneud, y gallant gymryd rheolaeth lawn dros eu harian eto.
“Gall rheoli biliau eich cartref fod yn anodd ar y gorau, heb sôn pan fydd eich iechyd meddwl yn wael. Mae cael atwrneiaeth arhosol yn golygu y gallant sicrhau bod eich biliau’n cael eu setlo. Neu, os ydych chi’n mynd i drafferthion ariannol, gall y person rydych chi wedi’i benodi negodi gyda chyflenwyr neu gredydwyr fel nad ydyn nhw’n eich poeni ar ben bod yn sâl.”
Niwed i’r ymennydd a chael atwrneiaeth arhosol yn ei le
Er bod llawer o bobl yn gwella’n gyflym ar ôl mân anafiadau i’r pen, nid yw hyn yn wir bob amser. Mae rhai pobl yn profi effeithiau tymor hwy ac efallai y byddant yn treulio amser mewn coma, neu mewn ‘cyflwr ymwybyddiaeth is’ hirach. Yn ystod camau cynnar yr adferiad, mae goroeswyr anafiadau i’r ymennydd yn aml yn mynd drwy gam o’r enw ‘amnesia wedi trawma’, lle nad oes ganddynt gof parhaus am ddigwyddiadau o ddydd i ddydd a gall eu hymddygiad fod yn annodweddiadol a dryslyd iawn.
Mae cael atwrneiaeth arhosol ar waith yn diogelu dewisiadau’r sawl sydd wedi goroesi anaf i’r ymennydd, gan y byddai rhywun y mae’n ymddiried ynddo yn gallu gwneud penderfyniadau ar eu rhan. Yn aml, mae’r rhain yn benderfyniadau y gellir eu trafod a chynllunio ar eu cyfer cyn bod eu hangen.
Dywedodd Colin Morris, Cyfarwyddwr Cyfathrebu Headway – y gymdeithas anafiadau i’r ymennydd:
“Yn ystod yr wythnos gweithredu dros anafiadau i’r ymennydd, un o’r negeseuon allweddol rydyn ni’n ei rannu yw y gall anaf i’r ymennydd ddigwydd i unrhyw un ar unrhyw adeg.
“Os yw’n cael ei achosi gan strôc, cwympo, gwrthdrawiad car, tiwmor neu ymosodiad, gall anaf i’r ymennydd ddigwydd heb rybudd ac yn aml mae’n gadael y person â phroblemau gwybyddol.. Gall hyn amharu ar eu gallu i ddeall canlyniadau penderfyniadau ac o bosibl eu rhoi mewn perygl o niwed.
“Mae trefniadau tymor hir fel atwrneiaeth arhosol yn aml yn hanfodol, felly mae gan oroeswyr anafiadau i’r ymennydd rywun sy’n gallu gwneud penderfyniadau er eu budd pennaf. Gall fod yn gysur mawr gwybod bod rhywun yno i ofalu am eu lles.”
Nid yw profiad pob unigolyn yr un fath, ond rhywbeth sy’n cysylltu’r holl senarios hyn yw nad oes modd eu rhagweld yn aml. Mae creu atwrneiaeth arhosol cyn y bydd ei hangen arnoch yn helpu i ddiogelu eich dewisiadau yn y dyfodol, ac yn ei gwneud yn haws i’r bobl rydych chi’n ymddiried ynddyn nhw wneud penderfyniadau ar eich rhan. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth ac arweiniad, ewch i www.gov.uk/opg.
Diolch i’r Gymdeithas Alzheimer’s, Mind a Headway am eu cefnogaeth a’u cyngor ar gyfer y blog hwn.
4 comments
Comment by LILIANA posted on
CAN GET A LASTING POWER ATTORNEY IF MY SON IS MENTAL ILL IN HOSPITAL PSIHIATRIC IF CANOT SIGN AS DONOR?THANKS
Comment by rebeccaparker1 posted on
Hello Liliana,
You need to have mental capacity to make an LPA. You can apply to the Court of Protection to become someone’s deputy or for a one-off decision if they ‘lack mental capacity'. This means they cannot make a decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made. There is more information here: https://www.gov.uk/become-deputy.
Thanks, Rebecca - OPG communications
Comment by Wendy McDonald posted on
Due to a break in the person’s wellbeing at the time they are temporarily unable to make a informed decision.
Comment by kerstifourcin posted on
Hello Wendy
Is this relating to a query you have on a specific application?
If you can’t find the information you need on our website, or have a question about a specific application, please email customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk or call our contact centre on 0300 456 0300.
Many thanks,
Kersti - OPG communications