Mum took out LPOA on my fathers death but it has on,y recently come to light that she only did the finance part.
I assume that it is best to have both, but what benefit is Health to her please? I will need to explain it in a simple, common sense way.
Who does mum want to make decisions about her care, if she cannot make them for herself.
A hospital doctor who has just met her, or a daughter who knows and loves her?
My mum was terminally ill, and pain relief at the usual level wasn’t working. She had suffered terribly from many ailments and been housebound for over 30 years.
For you, I told the doctor that I had POA. My instructions were very clear. Pain relief MUST be top priority, regardless of the consequences. Mum passed away peacefully in her sleep the following day. I have ordered my son to do the same for me in the same circumstances.
Thank you bowlingbun, that’s a good simple approach.
Have you done yours? Maybe that would help mum understand that it needs to be done well in advance as it takes three months to process now?
My wife and I only had financial POA. No health one.
When she was in a coma in hospital the doctor allowed me to decide how best to proceed.
Albert, maybe if it is a husband or wife it’s different, but even with POA I’ve had many problems, especially with Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH).
I had to empty and sell my brother’s house, as he was dying in Uruguay. When everything was sorted, I was shattered. My son and I went to stay in Somerset for a week’s holiday.
On the Wednesday, eldest son rang up to say mum had been taken into RBH, as we were on a steam train ride. RBH refused to talk to me, or give me any information at all, over the phone. They had all my details already, from previous admissions.
The only solution was to end our much needed holiday early and go home.
It turned out mum had sepsis, but they were planning on almost immediate discharge. I knew they hadn’t seen her walk, her Zimmer had been left in her hall by the ambulance staff!
I insisted that she had a full Continuing Healthcare Assessment before she went anywhere, the following day the physio and OT had said that she should not even stand, let alone walk, but should be hoisted in and out of her bed with 2 staff members. Mum never went home again.
Even with POA they didn’t want to involve me. Just imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t come home!
Children of elderly parents are perceived as people who can take over problems hospitals don’t want.