Want to set up lasting Powwer of Attorny.

To those who did, and in case you didn't know, you can get part of your application fee back if you applied to register a power of attorney from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2017.

www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund

Living wills are not legal documents.
The can be helpful and doctors will take them into account as much as possible in an "either/or" situation. But ultimately it is up to the medical team to decide what the options are, then the person, POA or best interest decision to decide whether to accept or decline those options. The living will can of course guide that decision and make it easier but it is not binding.

If you wouldn't want intensive care treatment etc a living will is not the most effective (or cheapest) way to put that in place.

Go to your GP and get a "community treatment only" or "ward based treatment only, no escalation" (as per your preference) ^out of hours message" put on your file.

That way you would still have treatments like antibiotics etc, but not invasive life support.

Although the Living Will is not a legal document it does have advantages as an addition to the POA.

Many people are in good health when they make the POA but it makes them think about the ‘what if’ situations. Hopefully there is a long time before it is needed. In that time people often see friends or relatives needing treatment and it helps to see the reality of choices.

It is also flexible and a very simple tool, allowing you to change your mind many times. Finally it eases the burden for relatives. As I said in my earlier post I have had to use this twice. It gave me an opportunity to speak to DH and my children about my own wishes .

Yes it is useful in so much as it can help your POA or next of kin & medics figure out what you would have wanted.

But there is no benefit to paying a solicitor for it.

& if someone was certain in advance that they wouldnt want invasive aggressive interventions then a ward only or community only notice would mean it would never need to get to the point of considering a living will etc.

Obviously not everyone is that certain and most of medicine is grey areas. But if someone is certain that they would want treatment but not ITU etc, then a no escalation notice is by far the better way to go about it

Would NOT want

No escalation would also cover situations like where initial treatments haven't worked and its now a choice between drastic intervention or palliative care. No escalation would cover going for palliative care in those situations