We will arrange an advocate for you if both of these apply:
- we think you’ll have ‘substantial difficulty’ in understanding and making decisions about your care plan
- you can’t find an ‘appropriate person’ or aren’t able to arrange an advocate with Age UK
We will consider you to have ‘substantial difficulty’ if you can’t do one of these:
- understand the information we are giving you - for example if you have advanced dementia
- remember what you’ve been told for long enough to weigh up options and make a decision
- use or weigh up the information we have given you - for example you can’t weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of moving into a care home
- tell us what you want and how you feel – for example if you’re confused or you have a learning disability
Mental health advocates
We or a healthcare worker will arrange an advocate for you if you’re:
- detained (sometimes called ‘sectioned’) under the Mental Health Act (1983)
- on a supervised Community Treatment Order
- a voluntary mental health patient
- discharged from a mental hospital