For peace of mind, some pay professionals to see to their care if they lose mental capacity
SINGAPORE - Unlike most people who have drawn up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), Ms Ng Siew Kueen hired three professionals, instead of appointing family members, to make decisions on her behalf if she ever loses her mental capacity.
In 2023, she hired the professionals from Touch Professional Deputies and Donees, which comes under social service agency Touch Community Services.
For example, the 54-year-old trainer, who is single, has instructed them about her preferred care arrangements and her assets that would fund her care.
The LPA is a legal document that allows an individual to appoint another person, called a donee, to act and make decisions on his behalf if he becomes mentally incapacitated, for example, through dementia.
Ms Ng said she hired the professional donees from Touch, who are all social workers by training, as she does not want to burden her two younger siblings with the task. She also feels that the social workers can give her good advice regarding care and other issues.
One of her three donees acts as a replacement in case either of the other two are unable to perform that role.
She said: “I’m assured that the service would be continued if something happens to my primary donees. This gives me peace of mind.”
In 2018, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) launched the Professional Deputies and Donees Scheme, in response to smaller family sizes and a growing number of singles who may not have a loved one to be their proxy decision-maker.
If an LPA is not done before the person loses his mental capacity, the courts can appoint a professional deputy to make decisions on his behalf.
As of end-September, some 288,000 Singaporeans have made their LPAs, about 80 per cent of whom are aged 50 and older.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua gave these figures in an event to encourage legacy planning in late October.
An MSF spokeswoman told The Straits Times that very few people have appointed a professional donee – the number of such individuals forms less than 0.1 per cent of the LPAs registered for each of the last five years.
Almost all those who have made an LPA have appointed their family members to act as their donees, the spokeswoman added.
Professional donees interviewed say that many of those who hired them are single.
The rest include divorcees and married couples.
Lawyer Low Seow Ling, managing director of Emre Legal LLC, said of the singles she has acted on behalf of: “They don’t want to burden their siblings, nieces or nephews and add to their stress. It’s a lot of work to take care of such issues, so they would rather hire a professional.”
Others may not have a loved one whom they trust to take charge of their care, said the professional donees.
For example, some parents are afraid their children may not act in their best interests.
This is because if the child is worried about his inheritance, he may be less willing to use a parent’s assets to pay for the best care for the senior, as it would mean less or no money left for him after the parent dies.
Ms Julia Lee, group head of Touch Professional Deputies and Donees, said her organisation is seeing more people engaging its services in recent years.
Touch has 60 professional donee cases as at end-October, which is a six-fold increase from when it started its service in 2019, Ms Lee said.
There is now greater awareness about the LPA and less taboo surrounding end-of-life issues, she added.
“Seniors realise they must make their wishes known. Some want to plan ahead and take control of their own future,” she said.
Ms Low said there is also a greater trust in professional donees given the stringent checks in place.
There are 54 registered donees and deputies as of November, said the MSF.
A registered professional donee, who is appointed by an individual, can also act as professional deputy. However, the professional deputy has to be appointed by a court.
To be registered as a professional donee and deputy, individuals have to meet certain criteria.
Applicants have to come from selected professions, such as lawyers, medical practitioners and social workers, who are familiar with managing a person’s financial and welfare matters in the course of their daily work, said the MSF spokeswoman.
The applicants also have to pass a certification course, among other criteria.
The MSF spokeswoman said the professional donee fees are determined by the professional, who will agree on the amount with the person they are acting for, and the cost depends on the scope and duration of the work.
Ms Ng said she has paid Touch a one-time set-up fee of a few hundred dollars, plus an annual fee of about $200.
If she ever becomes mentally incapacitated, the charges for the duties performed by the professional donees are tallied at an hourly rate, which Touch declined to reveal.
Ms Low said she charges $500 for an annual review, and $500 an hour if the person who hired her loses mental capacity, and she has to act on the person’s behalf.
Ms Sophia Lim, a 59-year-old retired accountant, is married with an adult son with autism. She did up her LPA in 2021, and she nominated her 59-year-old husband as her donee.
But she has hired Ms Low as her replacement donee in the event her husband, a civil servant, is unable to carry out the role.
Ms Lim said it is better to discuss care arrangements and financial matters while she is still healthy, and not drop her husband and other family members in the “deep end” if she ever becomes mentally incapacitated.
Ms Lim said: “Having a replacement donee is like having a back-up plan. And it gives me peace of mind that I know there is someone who can step in if needed, and this person knows my concerns and wishes.”
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