Member

The particular problems identified in this debate include, first, that people may be suffering from some form of dementia or vascular problem, and that this may not be immediately apparent because they may be alone in the care home. I understand and sympathise with that, but I am not sure that it would necessarily either justify or provide greater protection if one went beyond the five existing assessments that have been suggested. As the powerful speech of the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Newnham, illustrated, if one is living with elderly parents at home, they are often quite good at disguising a decline—I think everybody must have had this experience. If one is trying to check whether they have capacity, I suspect that the five occasions I am referring to will be a lot more effective than what one can do oneself with one’s parents. I see the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Newnham, looking sceptical—and the moment I said it, I was thinking, “Well, that may or not be right”. It would probably depend, so her scepticism was, if I may say so, justified.