The “Your voice. Your decision.” campaign has real time stories of donor’s and attorney’s so you can hear people talk about their experience of LPAs.
As you will see from the videos, it is really important to talk about these issues and make sure that both donor and attorney are prepared.
A lasting power of attorney, or an LPA, makes it easier for the people you trust to support you when you need it most. It could be temporary help with your decisions during a short hospital stay, or support to manage decisions around your health and care in the longer-term.
A lasting power of attorney lets people you trust quickly, easily, and legally step in when you need it most. It not only gives you a voice, it protects your decisions.
Your voice. Your decision.
The OPG launched a pilot campaign in 2019 and conducted research across England and Wales into how many people currently have an LPA and compared this to areas of deprivation and dementia prevalence. This showed the OPG that there are people in our society who could benefit from having an LPA but don’t have one or know about them.
The OPG also found out from a sample of 25,000 people that the top 3 concerns for people on low incomes are:
- Money or debt
- Physical health
- Caring for others
Next of kin misconceptions
The OPG learned that nearly 75 percent of people think that their partners or close family members can automatically make decisions for them if they’re not able to. As next of kin, many people expect that making medical decisions or future planning for loved ones is straightforward.
This is not true; only an LPA gives you the legal ability to give those you trust the power to make decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity.
Taking this information the OPG gathered they developed a campaign plan to tackle these common misconceptions.
Their campaign – your voice, your decision – aims to provide access and information about LPAs to everyone, and encourage everyone to take them out to provide peace of mind for the future.
To view the Your voice. Your decision. campaign from the Office of the Public Guardian, click on this link.
