It seemed there was nothing her father couldn’t do when Margaret was growing up. He was the most capable person she knew. Widowed by the time he was 55, he lived an independent and full life, never relying on Margaret for anything other than her company.

Four years ago, however, Margaret began noticing changes. Subtle memory slips gradually became more troubling signs, alerting her that her father’s behavior was more than typical ageing. Their family doctor confirmed that he was in the early stages of dementia. He advised her that the disease could progress rapidly and urged her to talk to her father about becoming his Power of Attorney (POA) while he could still make decisions. In this role, she would oversee his legal, financial and health affairs.