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Younger people living with Dementia

It is a common misconception that dementia only affects the elderly but over 42,000 people in the UK are living with young onset dementia.

Charities such as Young Dementia UK and the Alzheimer’s society are working to raise awareness and understanding of the condition and the recent inclusion of a dementia storyline affecting a younger character in the television programme Emmerdale has also helped to bring the issue into the spotlight.

Being diagnosed with dementia at a young age has a huge effect on a person’s life, impacting not only family life and relationships but financial matters too, as many people with young onset dementia are forced to stop working.

As Private Client lawyers, we assist clients of a broad age range who do not have the capacity to manage their own affairs (including both financial and healthcare matters). Of course there are many reasons for this, but living with dementia is one of the most common.

Having a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place so that a trusted friend, relative or even a professional person can help you to manage your affairs in the event that you are no longer able to do so yourself can give real peace of mind.

Creating LPAs should not be something that you put off until your old age; it is sensible to set them up as soon as you can. The LPA can then sit there until it is needed, if at all.

The risk of not having an LPA is that you may lose capacity to deal with your affairs unexpectedly and no-one has been appointed to do it for you. Without capacity it is not possible to create an LPA. It would then be necessary to apply to the Court of Protection for a special order granting someone else the power to deal with your affairs. This process is far more complex than creating an LPA and takes much longer.

Morrisons has a large Private Client team spread across each of our five offices; we can make setting up your LPA a simple and pain-free process. We would be very happy to assist you if you would like further information please contact our Private Client team

Disclaimer

Although correct at the time of publication, the contents of this newsletter/blog are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute, legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article. Please contact us for the latest legal position.


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