Lasting Power of Attorney — Health and Welfare [LPA]

A legal document that gives a named person (the attorney) the authority to make health and welfare decisions on behalf of someone else if they lose the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves. A Health and Welfare LPA can cover decisions including medical treatment, place of care, and — if specifically authorised — life-sustaining treatment. An LPA must be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian before it can be used. It can only be set up while the person still has mental capacity. For cardiac arrest survivors and ICD patients, having an LPA in place ensures that a trusted person can make decisions if capacity is ever lost — this is particularly relevant given the potential for hypoxic brain injury. Being listed as next of kin does not give these powers.