When most people think about putting a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) in place, they tend to focus on money — paying bills, managing savings, and protecting property. While those are all important, there’s another side that often gets overlooked: your health and personal wellbeing.
A Health and Welfare LPA is every bit as vital as its financial counterpart. It ensures that, if you lose the ability to make decisions, the people you trust can decide how you live and receive care — not strangers or social services.
At the Later Living Helpline, we often see families shocked to learn that, without a Health and Welfare LPA, even next of kin have no automatic right to decide where their loved one lives or what medical treatment they receive.
What Happens Without a Health and Welfare LPA?
If you lose mental capacity without this document in place, decisions about your daily life and medical care could fall to local authorities or the Court of Protection — not your family. That can mean:
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Social Services deciding where you live or what care home you move into.
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Doctors making choices about life-sustaining treatment without consulting those closest to you.
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Loved ones facing lengthy, expensive legal processes just to have a say in your care.
Even your next of kin can only be consulted — they don’t have the final say. For many families, that lack of control can cause frustration, conflict, and heartache at an already difficult time.
What Does a Health and Welfare LPA Allow?
A Health and Welfare LPA gives your chosen attorneys the authority to make decisions about your care only if you can no longer make them yourself. This includes:
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Your daily routine — washing, dressing, and meals
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Medical treatment and care
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Where you live, including decisions about moving into a care home
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Whether to consent to or refuse life-sustaining treatment
In short, it lets you choose who will speak for you when you cannot.
Why You Need Both LPAs
There are two types of LPAs:
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Property and Financial Affairs LPA – Covers decisions about money, property, and bills.
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Health and Welfare LPA – Covers decisions about your wellbeing, care, and medical treatment.
Without both, you’re only half protected. Managing your finances is important — but so is having control over your healthcare, where you live, and how you’re cared for. With both LPAs in place, your loved ones can make fully informed decisions that reflect your wishes.
A Growing Need for Health and Welfare LPAs
With dementia diagnoses rising across the UK, planning ahead has never been more important. Too often, families find out too late that they cannot legally make choices for their loved one without a Health and Welfare LPA.
Creating one ensures that your care decisions stay in the hands of people who truly understand you — not strangers in an office.
Final Thought
Life can be unpredictable, but your right to choose who makes decisions for you shouldn’t be. Having both types of LPAs gives you full peace of mind that your affairs — financial and personal — are protected.
If you’d like free guidance on how to set up a Health and Welfare LPA, contact the Later Living Helpline. Our friendly team can connect you with estate planning specialists who offer free online consultations to help you plan ahead with confidence.
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