[English] - [Cymraeg]
Photo of TraceyA lasting power of attorney, also known as an LPA, is a legal document. It allows you to nominate someone you trust to step in and make decisions about your health and welfare and property and finance if you lack mental capacity to do so.
Tracey, 45, from Birmingham, was an attorney for her mum and is currently one for her dad, alongside her sister Clare. Here, she shares how being an attorney helped her family through her mum's declining health, and offers her tips for staying organised when acting jointly with a sibling.
“I first came across LPAs years ago, when I worked for a financial advisor. But I didn't really understand what was involved until my own parents decided to set theirs up.
Tracey (right), with her sister Clare (middle), and her mum (left) sat together, smiling.My parents had a property and finance LPA made, and then a health and welfare LPA, which Clare helped them with. They appointed me and my sister Clare jointly and severally for both, meaning we could make decisions together or independently of each other.
Tracey's father, stood next to a statue of a horse.Getting started as an attorney
When the LPAs were registered, the first thing I did was add it to the ‘Use an LPA’ service. The service allows donors and attorneys to create an account to give organisations access to view the details of that LPA online.
One thing I'd say to reassure other attorneys is that adding your LPA to the Use service does not put it into action. I used my parents' LPA activation key straight away, but Clare held off for a while, worried that registering it might set things in motion before they were needed. That's simply not the case, it just means everything is ready and waiting for when you do need it.
Tracey's parents stood together, smiling, at a wedding.Once both LPAs were added to the service, using them day to day was straightforward. We were able to see a one-page online summary of the LPAs and create access codes for organisations to view them, which was particularly helpful with bigger organisations like Barclays, British Gas and British Telecom.
We started actively using the finance LPA at the end of last November, as my mum's health began to decline. My dad has full mental capacity, but he'd never dealt with the finances himself, that was always my mum's role. Having the LPA in place meant we could begin a gradual handover, taking on more of the day-to-day management for him. He's never had to speak to a bank or a utility company in his life, and it makes him anxious, so being able to step in on his behalf has genuinely made things easier.
Staying organised with my sister
One thing I'd really encourage other attorneys to consider is setting up shared systems with anyone you're acting alongside. Clare and I set up a joint email account for my dad's accounts, and a separate WhatsApp group just for LPA-related matters, so nothing gets lost among normal family messages. I also keep a notebook with a page for each account, noting details and who I've spoken to.
It's not that we don't trust each other, it just means we can hold each other to account and keep everything in one place.
Tracey (right), with her sister Clare (left) sat together, smiling.My advice to others
I'd absolutely recommend getting an LPA. Most of us only turn to it once we're already in the middle of a difficult situation. For us, having it already set up meant we could step in and support our parents when the time came. We could just get on with it. That's what I'd say to anyone on the fence: get it sorted while things are calm, so it's simply there when you need it.”
Tracey is one of the many people across England and Wales who has taken on the role of attorney for a loved one. It's never too early to start the conversation about lasting powers of attorney with someone you trust at https://powerofattorney.campaign.gov.uk/
[English] - [Cymraeg]
Straeon Atwrneiaeth: Tracey llun o TraceyDogfen gyfreithiol yw Atwrneiaeth Arhosol (sydd hefyd yn cael ei galw’n LPA). Mae’n eich galluogi i enwebu rhywun rydych chi’n ymddiried ynddo i gamu i mewn a gwneud penderfyniadau am eich iechyd a’ch lles, eich eiddo a’ch materion ariannol, os nad oes gennych chi’r galluedd meddyliol i wneud hynny.
Roedd Tracey, 45, o Birmingham, yn atwrnai i’w mam, ac ar hyn o bryd mae hi a’i chwaer Clare yn atwrnai i’w tad. Yma, mae hi’n rhannu sut mae bod yn atwrnai wedi helpu ei theulu yn ystod cyfnod dirywiad iechyd ei mam, ac mae’n cynnig awgrymiadau ar gyfer cadw’n drefnus wrth weithredu ar y cyd â brawd neu chwaer.
“Fe ddes i ar draws LPAs am y tro cyntaf flynyddoedd yn ôl pan oeddwn i’n gweithio i ymgynghorydd ariannol. Ond doeddwn i ddim wir yn deall beth oedd dan sylw nes i fy rhieni benderfynu sefydlu eu LPAs eu hunain.
Tracey (dde), gyda’i chwaer Clare (canol), a’i mam (chwith) yn eistedd gyda’i gilydd, yn gwenu.Roedd gan fy rhieni LPA eiddo a materion ariannol, ac yna fe wnaethon nhw benderfynu gwneud LPA iechyd a lles gyda chymorth Clare. Cafodd Clare a finnau ein penodi ar y cyd ac yn unigol ar gyfer y ddau LPA, sy’n golygu y gallen ni wneud penderfyniadau gyda’n gilydd neu’n annibynnol.
Tad Tracey, yn sefyll wrth ymyl cerflun o geffyl.Cychwyn y broses fel atwrnai
Pan gofrestrwyd yr LPAs, y peth cyntaf a wnes i oedd eu hychwanegu at y gwasanaeth ‘Defnyddio LPA’. Mae’r gwasanaeth yn galluogi rhoddwyr ac atwrneiod i greu cyfrif fel bod sefydliadau yn gallu gweld manylion yr LPA honno ar-lein.
Un peth y byddwn i’n ei ddweud i dawelu meddwl atwrneiod eraill yw nad yw ychwanegu eich LPA at y gwasanaeth Defnyddio yn rhoi’r LPA honnon ar waith. Defnyddiais allwedd actifadu LPA fy rhieni ar unwaith, ond fe wnaeth Clare ddal arni am gyfnod, gan ei bod yn poeni y gallai cofrestru roi pethau ar waith cyn bod angen. Dydy hynny ddim yn wir. Mae cofrestru’n golygu bod popeth yn barod ac mewn trefn ar gyfer pan fydd arnoch ei angen.
Rhieni Tracey yn sefyll gyda’i gilydd, yn gwenu, mewn priodas.Ar ôl ychwanegu’r ddwy LPA at y gwasanaeth, roedd eu defnyddio o ddydd i ddydd yn syml. Roeddem yn gallu gweld crynodeb un dudalen ar-lein o’r LPAs a chreu codau mynediad i sefydliadau eu gweld, a oedd yn arbennig o ddefnyddiol gyda sefydliadau mwy fel Barclays, British Gas a British Telecom.
Fe wnaethom ddechrau defnyddio’r LPA materion ariannol ar ddiwedd mis Tachwedd diwethaf, wrth i iechyd fy mam ddechrau dirywio. Mae gan fy nhad alluedd meddyliol llawn, ond nid oedd erioed wedi delio â’r materion ariannol ei hun, dyna oedd rôl fy mam bob amser. Roedd cael yr LPA ar waith yn golygu y gallem ddechrau trosglwyddiad graddol, gan ysgwyddo mwy o’r gwaith rheoli o ddydd i ddydd ar ei ran. Nid yw erioed wedi gorfod siarad â banc na chwmni cyfleustodau yn ei fywyd, ac mae’n ei wneud yn bryderus, felly mae gallu camu i mewn ar ei ran wir wedi gwneud pethau’n haws.
Bod yn drefnus gyda fy chwaer
Un peth y byddwn i wir yn annog atwrneiod eraill i’w ystyried yw sefydlu systemau ar y cyd gydag unrhyw un rydych chi’n gweithredu ochr yn ochr ag ef. Sefydlodd Clare a finnau gyfrif e-bost ar y cyd ar gyfer cyfrifon fy nhad, a grŵp WhatsApp ar wahân ar gyfer materion sy’n ymwneud ag LPAs yn unig. Felly, nid oes unrhyw beth yn cael ei golli ymysg negeseuon teuluol arferol. Rydw i hefyd yn cadw llyfr nodiadau gyda thudalen ar gyfer pob cyfrif, gan nodi manylion a gyda phwy rydw i wedi siarad.
Nid yw’n golygu nad ydym yn ymddiried yn ein gilydd. Mae’n golygu ein bod yn gallu dal ein gilydd i gyfrif a chadw popeth mewn un lle.
Tracey (dde), gyda’i chwaer Clare (chwith) yn eistedd gyda’i gilydd, yn gwenu.Fy nghyngor i eraill
Byddwn yn bendant yn argymell cael LPA. Dim ond pan fyddwn ni eisoes yng nghanol sefyllfa anodd y bydd y rhan fwyaf ohonom yn troi at ddefnyddio LPA. I ni, roedd ei sefydlu’n barod yn golygu y gallem gamu i mewn a chefnogi ein rhieni pan ddaeth yr amser. Roedden ni’n barod i fwrw ati’n syth. Dyna fyddwn i’n ei ddweud wrth unrhyw un mewn cyfyng gyngor: rhowch drefn ar bethau pan fydd pethau’n dawel, yna fydd popeth yn ei le pan fydd arnoch ei angen.”
Mae Tracey yn un o’r llu o bobl ledled Cymru a Lloegr sydd wedi ymgymryd â rôl atwrnai ar ran rhywun annwyl. Dydy hi byth yn rhy gynnar i siarad am atwrneiaeth arhosol gyda rhywun rydych chi’n ymddiried ynddo hagor o wybodaeth ar gael yn https://powerofattorney.campaign.gov.uk/
https://publicguardian.blog.gov.uk/2026/11/03/power-of-attorney-stories-tracey/
seen at 10:44, 3 November in Office of the Public Guardian.