Dementia 'fuelling powers of attorney bids'

Hundreds of people a day are applying to be able to handle the financial affairs of relatives who are mentally ill, it has been revealed.

And official figures suggest the trend is being driven by the rising prevalence of dementia and Alzheimer's.

According to Judge Denzil Lush, the Office of the Public Guardian is getting over 5,000 applications per week from those wanting to register powers of attorney.

The judge was commenting after a case at the Court of Protection in which he was asked to analyse the legal issues surrounding a woman aged in her 70s.

The Court of Protection often deals with cases related to people wanting to have the power to handle the finances of elderly relatives with dementia.

The Government-funded Office of the Public Guardian works to protect the interests of people with mental illnesses.

According to the Office for National Statistics, dementia and Alzheimer's disease partially caused about 12.5 per cent of all the female deaths in England and Wales in 2013.

Copyright Press Association 2014