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With a husband suffering Parkinson’s, mum-of-two decides to put a Lasting Power of Attorney in place to spare her children conflict and stress

With her husband's Lasting Power of Attorney in place, Mrs Toh Boon Keng was able to make swift medical and financial decisions when he lost mental capacity.

Published Feb 10, 2026, 04:00 AM

When stomach cancer struck her husband last year, Mrs Toh Boon Keng was able to act quickly. Her husband, Mr Toh Kok Siong, 80, had developed dementia after years of Parkinson’s disease and could no longer make decisions for his own care.

A Lasting Power Of Attorney (LPA) he made in 2015 named Mrs Toh and their eldest son Ian as donees. This means the family could consent to his treatment and access his funds for his care.

“With the LPA in place, I was able to give consent for this operation, and Ian helped handle the banking matters,” says Mrs Toh.

The mother and son made their decisions after discussing with members of their extended family.

“My husband has nephews and nieces who are doctors and medical professors so I consulted them, and one of them went with me to see his oncologist,” says Mrs Toh.

With clear legal arrangements in place and support from extended family, she was able to navigate complex medical and financial decisions with confidence.

For many other Singapore families in similar situations, events can unfold very differently without an LPA in place.

Ian, 41, recalls a friend whose mother became mentally incapacitated after a sudden illness. Without an LPA, he could not access her bank accounts or help to pay her bills.

Such situations are not uncommon, says Dr Jackie Lam, a family physician and co-founder of Keystone Clinic & Surgery, who regularly sees families struggling with caregiving and legal decisions.

When Dr Lam was a junior doctor on neurosurgery rotation, he once treated a patient in his 40s who became comatose after a sudden brain bleed.

The patient was the sole breadwinner for his family but without an LPA, his wife could not access his bank accounts to pay for their daily living and their young children’s schooling needs.

“She could not understand why she as the wife could not make certain decisions on behalf of her husband, such as accessing his bank accounts,” says Dr Lam.

The only option was to apply to the court for deputyship of her husband.

“It was a lengthy process,” says Dr Lam. “Legal fees came up to thousands of dollars. That was a difficult few months for the family.”

Having seen too many families left stranded without an LPA, Dr Lam now conducts regular talks at community clubs to encourage more people to make their LPAs.

As an accredited LPA Certificate Issuer who has certified thousands of LPAs, he also helps to dispel misconceptions about the LPA.

The first is if two donees are to act jointly or jointly and severally, meaning if decisions or actions need the agreement of both donees together or if each can act individually.

The second concerns “cash gifts”.

“Most people think that a cash gift is like ang pow,” says Dr Lam.

Under the LPA, donees are required to preserve the donor’s assets for the donor’s own needs, and cannot give away money or assets unless the donor explicitly authorised it. This includes financial support for others, such as dependents.

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)A legal document that allows you (the donor) to appoint people you trust (the donees) to make decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity. You must be at least 21 years of age to appoint donees. 

DonorThe person making the LPA and choosing the donees who will act for them if they no longer can.

DoneeThe trusted person appointed to make decisions about the donor’s personal welfare, property and other affairs. Donees must be at least 21 years old. 

Mental capacityThe ability to make decisions for yourself. Your mental capacity can be diminished due to conditions such as dementia, stroke, brain injury or sudden illness.

DeputyshipA court-appointed arrangement where a “deputy” is appointed to make specific decisions for someone who loses mental capacity without an LPA. Getting a deputyship can take up to a year and a half and cost up to $9,000 in legal proceedings.

While LPAs were once seen as something only seniors needed, Dr Lam now sees a rising number of people in their 40s and 50s coming forward. As of Aug 15, 2025, over 350,000 LPAs have been made among Singapore Citizens.

“Living healthy and living well is not enough,” he says. “Today, you also need to plan well.”

Mrs Toh made her own Lasting Power of Attorney in 2025, hoping to spare her children uncertainty and disagreements about her care.

Planning ahead may include both the LPA and an Advance Care Plan, which kicks in if a person loses mental capacity while still alive. CPF nominations and wills take effect only after death.

Ian is among the growing number of younger people planning ahead.

“I have a family now, my daughter is two years old, and I have a business, so it’s very important for me to take care of everyone,” he says.

He plans to speak with his wife, his younger brother and his business partner about becoming his donees, with the latter overseeing business matters if needed. The decision is shaped by his experience acting as his father’s donee. He is going to be his mother’s donee as well.

Mrs Toh made her own LPA last year.

For her, the decision gave her peace of mind.

“I thought about my family and so I made my LPA,” she says. “I don’t want my two children to argue and to have misunderstandings about my care.”

Ten minutes is all you need to start the process of appointing your trusted persons to make decisions on your personal welfare, property and bank accounts. 

Step 1: Complete the form at go.gov.sg/planlegacytoday-lpa

Step 2: Get your donees to accept their appointment

Step 3: Visit a Certificate Issuer to certify your LPA. Find an LPA Certificate Issuer at go.gov.sg/lpa-ci

The $70 application fee for Form 1 is waived for Singaporeans until March 31, 2026. Give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind today. Click here to find out more.

See more onMinistry of Social and Family Development

LPA/Lasting Power of Attorney

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