As we travel more than ever and explore further afield, our increasingly adventurous activities come with risks. Although a Power of Attorney might not generally be a consideration for holiday preparation, perhaps it should be.
Last year Scottish judo star, Stephanie Inglis, was seriously injured in a motorbike taxi accident in Vietnam. After being in a medically induced coma for three weeks she was flown home to Scotland to recover from serious head injuries requiring months of hospital treatment.
In a situation like Stephanie’s, a Power of Attorney could be invaluable by allowing others to look after your affairs for as long as you are unable to do so. Many people associate Powers of Attorney with the elderly or perhaps those beginning to suffer from dementia or other cognitive problems. However, they can be of enormous use at any stage of life if you find yourself temporarily incapacitated by illness or an accident.
By granting a Continuing and Welfare Power of Attorney you can authorise a family member, friend or professional to make decisions about your property, finances, care and welfare for as long as you are out of action. This could include tasks such as operating your bank account, paying bills, filling out paperwork and liaising with medical staff. When you recover, your chosen attorney simply stops acting and control is back in your hands.
We are travelling to far reaching locations more often and holidays may well involve extreme sports or riskier than usual activities whether that’s skiing, scuba diving, hiring a moped or any number of other things. We generally don’t hesitate to take out travel insurance to cover financial loss, but perhaps it would be equally wise to consider having the additional back up of a Power of Attorney?
