Derek. the former political adviser turned Psychotherapist, 53, remains in hospital after being admitted with COVID-19 symptoms as the pandemic started to take hold in the UK in March 2020.
In a personal account of the past 12-months, Kate Garraway’s situation has been made even more complicated by the lack of legal protection she and Derek had in place and should be seen as a stark warning to others. Kate was unable to access funds to manage her husband’s care or even refinance her mortgage. She didn’t even have the legal right to see his medical notes, owing to data protection.
Chris Partington, Partner and head of private client affairs at Slater Heelis and member of the SFE (solicitors for the Elderly) said: “Research by the SFE shows that 65% of us think that our next of kin will make medical and care decisions for us if we are no longer able to. In reality this isn’t the case unless a Health & Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney is in place. Whilst there’s been a rise in the number of enquiries made about LPA’s during the pandemic, still only 22% of people in the UK actually have one.
“To avoid this difficult kind of legal situation, it’s important to use a specialist lawyer who is experienced in this area of law and is trained to support people making these crucial, complex and difficult decision. According to Which? 22,000 LPA applications are rejected every year so it is essential that you get these legal documents right.”