JMW Solicitors has reported a twenty-fold increase in enquiries about Health and Welfare LPAs in the wake of the November arrest of the mother of the former Coronation St actor Leandra Ashton and nurse, Ylenia Angeli.
Ms Angeli had attempted to remove her 97-year old mother, who has dementia, from her care home in advance of the second lockdown. The ill-fated attempt resulted in 73 year-old Angeli’s arrest and harrowing images of her mother alone and bewildered watching her daughter in the back seat of a police car.
The case was devastating for the family and, with the prospect of further restrictions until at least spring, and most likely beyond, it has fueled a rise in the number of families looking for additional safeguards.
While general awareness and understanding around LPAs has increased in recent years, families often opt only for a property and financial affairs LPA. While legal advisors will always discuss the different options, LPAs are still often completed at the eleventh hour and financial issues usually create the most concern.
Now, with the continuation of the pandemic and strict restrictions on visiting loved ones in care homes – health and welfare LPAs have rapidly taken on new importance.
Tasnim Khalid, Partner and Head of Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning at JMW, said:
“It was tragic to see the way Ms Angeli and her mother were treated; it has shocked a lot of families into taking action and, crucially, has driven awareness around health and welfare LPAs, which would have prevented the arrest.
“Pre-pandemic, health and welfare LPAs weren’t as frequently used as property and financial affairs LPAs – there were no restrictions on visiting relatives and if you weren’t happy with the way a loved one was being looked after, you simply moved them elsewhere. That isn’t the case any longer and health and welfare LPAs have become hugely important within a matter of months.
“We’re now strongly advising all new clients to go ahead with health and welfare LPAs to prevent time-consuming and emotionally draining conflicts like that experienced by Ms Angeli and her family.”
