East Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) and the East Dunbartonshire Public Service User and Carers (PSUC) group have created a Power of Attorney (PoA) leaflet which advises local residents on the benefits of having a PoA in place.
The leaflet covers all aspects of giving legal authority to others to make decisions on your behalf with regards to your property, financial affairs and health and welfare. It answers some important questions including; ‘what is a Power of Attorney?’, ‘why should you have a Power of Attorney?’ and ‘who can you appoint to be your attorney?’
Gordon Cox, Chair of the Public Service User and Carers (PSUC) group explained, “This leaflet came about following a meeting with a senior member of staff on the challenges that East Dunbartonshire HSCP face when residents are hospitalised, without capacity and do not have a PoA in place to look after their wishes and financial affairs. If this leaflet gives just one resident a voice, some dignity and their wishes respected if they are unwell, then it will have made a difference”.
Caroline Sinclair, Interim Chief Officer, said, “We thank the Public Service User and Carer group members for their continued involvement and participation in supporting the planning, design and delivery of health and social care services in East Dunbartonshire and who better to tell us how services should be tailored than the people who use them. This is a fantastic leaflet which provides us the opportunity to share important information with the people of East Dunbartonshire.”
Copies of the leaflet will be available at GP practices, public libraries and community hubs. You can also download an online copy.