Situations like these highlight the importance of ensuring that an individual’s wishes for their future are recorded when they have capacity. In England and Wales, this is best achieved by use of lasting powers of attorney (LPAs). LPAs are documents in which an individual nominates one or more people to oversee their property and financial affairs, and/or health and welfare decisions when they can no longer do so. Importantly, LPAs allow the individual to record any specific preferences or instructions, such as where they wish to live or if their attorneys should have the authority to agree to or refuse life-sustaining treatment.
