Dorothy Cook, 68, from Bristol, was left powerless to secure the discharge of her husband Melvin from hospital because she did not have power of attorney. Despite being his full-time carer for years, a doctor refused to release Melvin following an admission in March 2025, judging him to lack mental capacity. Dorothy believes this was due to Melvin's communication difficulties, and she was not present at the meeting to assist.
Power of attorney is a legal document that grants a trusted person authority to manage finances, property, or health decisions on behalf of another. Dorothy, who gave up her career as an occupational psychologist to care for Melvin, was able to prove she could look after him, but if she had not, the hospital team could legally have overridden her. Melvin had been diagnosed with ataxia, a degenerative brain and neurological disease affecting mobility and communication.
Melvin, a former engineer who helped design the prototype nose for Concorde, first showed symptoms of ataxia 17 years ago. His health deteriorated, and Dorothy became his full-time carer. He died aged 78 in June 2025, and Dorothy is now sharing her story on the first nationwide Power of Attorney Day to raise awareness. She told the Mirror: 'Melvin's full-time care needs were so full-on, it got pushed down the road. I never want a single person to ever have that experience of what me and Melvin did, because it broke our heart.'
Dorothy has since set up power of attorney and is urging others to act. She said: 'I didn't find it easy, but I worked through it. I chose to do it myself, rather than pay a solicitor.' Her warning comes as Carers UK and Standard Life launch the first UK-wide Power of Attorney Day, with data showing only 8% of adults have an up-to-date power of attorney in place, and fewer than half (46%) consider it a priority even as they age.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: 'None of us knows what might be around the corner. On this first ever UK-wide Power of Attorney Day our message to unpaid carers and those close to them is to take the time to talk about it and put a power of attorney in place before it's really needed.' Claire Hawkins of Standard Life added: 'Power of Attorney isn't just a legal formality - it's a vital safeguard setting out who can manage your finances in the event of something happening to you.'
