Oxford planning for the future event gives legal advice to older people

Dr John Davis, Chief Scientific Officer of the Alzheimer’s Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute, joined Oxford solicitor Kirsty Southgate on Saturday for an event offering legal advice to older people who want to plan for the future.

The event, which took place at the Quaker Meeting House in Oxford, was run by Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity.

Dr Davis and Kirsty Southgate spoke to the people gathered about the importance of dementia research and about legal issues affecting people as they get older.

Dr Davis said:

“There are currently over 850,000 people living with dementia across the UK, yet there are still no treatments that can slow or prevent the development of the condition. It is vital that we keep researching to find new treatments for dementia.

“Data obtained from people’s genetics, health records and post mortem results, is helping us to better understand the diseases that cause dementia. This has opened up new areas to explore, especially how our brain’s immune system might contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.”

Kirsty Southgate also addressed the audience about a range of legal issues that affect people as they get older. She spoke about the necessity of making a Will, the importance of having a Power of Attorney, and inheritance tax.

She spoke in further detail about different types of gifts that can be made in a Will, the role of executors, the need to use a qualified solicitor, and how to protect against challenges to the Will.

She said:

“The population in Britain is ageing, which means that dementia is affecting more and more people. It is essential that older people are informed about important legal issues and know how to update their Will.

“Older people should always have access to expert guidance when it comes to these important legal issues.”

Emma Bates, Gifts in Wills and In Memoriam Marketing Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK also spoke at the event.

She said:

“We would like to thank Dr John Davis and Kirsty Southgate for coming to our Planning for the Future event in Oxford

“Our mission at Alzheimer’s Research UK is to bring about life-changing treatments for people with dementia. We can’t achieve this without the generous support from so many people who choose to leave gifts in Wills to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

These gifts help to protect our children, grandchildren and future generations from the fear, harm and heartbreak of dementia.”