Martin Lewis: Why Power of Attorney is not just for the elderly – and more important than a will

onomatopoeia99

elsien said:

And with regard to health and welfare, if you make an advance decision that covers a lot of bases. 

Unfortunately "if I lose the ability to reason I want to be taken to dignitas and put down, rather than put into residential care" is not an advance decision the NHS will accept (I asked, for me).

lincroft1710

I think this is one of those scenarios where the theory is excellent, the practice less so

elsien

onomatopoeia99 said:

elsien said:

And with regard to health and welfare, if you make an advance decision that covers a lot of bases. 

Unfortunately "if I lose the ability to reason I want to be taken to dignitas and put down, rather than put into residential care" is not an advance decision the NHS will accept (I asked, for me).

No, but you can decline antibiotics for chest infections (as an example)  and come to an early demise that way. Or decline PEG feeding in circumstances where you’re not able to eat enough to keep you alive. (That is definitely on my list - seen too many people who have had strokes in care homes kept alive with no quality of life at all.)
Otherwise, if everyone agrees keeping you alive is not in your best interests they still have to go to the court of protection for a decision. Just been reading a case where that took over three years. 

Cardiac arrest woman in her 50s in 2014. Permanent vegetative state. No advance decision. Family and doctors all agreed it was not in her best interest to continue treatment. Took till 2018 to get to court for a judgement to withdraw treatment and let her go.  

Any of us could be an accident tomorrow that leaves of us in that condition. What would you want to happen then?

Malthusian

onomatopoeia99 said:

elsien said:

And with regard to health and welfare, if you make an advance decision that covers a lot of bases. 

Unfortunately "if I lose the ability to reason I want to be taken to dignitas and put down, rather than put into residential care" is not an advance decision the NHS will accept (I asked, for me).

It's not even a decision Dignitas would accept either - they only off the lucid. They don't take people who lack the mental capacity to consent to the procedure, even if they consented to it in advance.

And even if they did, no attorney would enable your wishes because "if I lose the ability to reason" is so vague as to be meaningless. Some people with virtually no memory and no ability to interact meaningfully might still reason their way into getting water when there's a glass of water on their table. 

Lifematters

The sooner they change the law on assisted dying in this country the better.  It’s unbelievable that we have the legal right to relieve the suffering of an animal and put them to sleep but we do not have that right for ourselves in our own home.