> > Mental Capacity Act
The new Mental Capacity Act came into effect in April 2007. It has important implications for all of us concerned with the welfare of frail older people - including relatives of people with dementia, families with loved ones living in care homes, older people thinking about future decisions that will need to be made about their care and welfare – and all those people acting as supporters or advisers in this field. R&RA was awarded a grant by the Department of Health to support the implementation of the Act. Over several months, we organised:
- 2 national conferences
- a webpage to keep people up to date with developments
- an MCA issue of the R&RA newsletter
- an information leaflet for anyone concerned with supporting older people who lack capacity or who may be making decisions about what to do in case it happens in the future
The MCA webpage will keep you posted on future developments and also keep you informed about other happenings around the country.
Mental Capacity Act conferences
Successful conferences were held last year on May 17th, in London and May 22nd in Leeds. The summer 2007 issue of the R&RA newsletter (click here) carries reports on both events and speakers presentations can be accessed by clicking following links:
- Tish Hanifan Solicitors for the Elderly KEY FEATURES OF THE ACT
- Bill Harland Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust WHAT THE ACT MEANS FOR YOU
- Caroline Baker Four Seasons Health Care THE MENTAL CAPACITY ACT IN PRACTICE
- Marion Bowgen Public Guardianship Office THE ROLE OF THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC GUARDIAN