| Ask Someone To Speak For You |
| You may wish to name someone - or even more than one person - who should be asked about your care if you are not able to make decisions for yourself. This person may be a close family member, a friend or any other person you choose. |
| If in the future you are unable to make a decision for yourself, a health or social care professional would, if possible, consult with the person you named. Although this person cannot make decisions for you they can provide information about your wishes, feelings and values. This will help the healthcare professionals act in your best interests. |
| This is not the same as legally appointing somebody to make decisions for you under a lasting power of attorney. We look at that on page 10. |
An example of naming someone to speak for you
Mrs Jones lives alone and has no living relative. She has always received help and support from her lifelong friend and neighbour Jenny.
As Mrs Jones gets older she starts to think about what will happen to her if for any reason her health fails. Mrs Jones knows Jenny so well she decides to ask her to be the person she would like to be consulted and speak on her behalf should the need ever arise.
Mrs Jones is happy that her financial affairs continue to be managed by her solicitor just as they always have been. |
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