Professional Deputies and Donees 

Without a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA), your family members don’t automatically have the authority to make decisions on your behalf for personal welfare, healthcare, property, or financial matters. 

They might need to seek court approval to become your deputy — a process that can be stressful, time-consuming, and costly, and potentially lead to family conflicts. 

Mental capacity refers to an individual’s ability to make a specific decision at any given moment. It’s evaluated case by case and can't be assumed solely based on a medical condition or other external factors like age, appearance, or behaviour.  

Someone might have capacity for certain decisions but not others. For instance, they could manage daily tasks like shopping but struggle with complex financial choices.  

Importantly, mental capacity can change over time, improving, deteriorating, or fluctuating unpredictably. 

When an individual is certified as mentally incapacitated, the donee(s) named in your LPA are activated and legally empowered to act according to the granted authority, whether for personal welfare, property and affairs, or both.  

These appointed donee(s) can make decisions concerning personal welfare and/or property and affairs. If this isn’t feasible, family members may have to apply to court for a deputyship order. 

A donee should be someone who is at least 21 years of age, trustworthy, reliable, and competent enough to make decisions for you. 

For personal welfare, you can only appoint an individual to make decisions for you.  

For property and affairs, you can appoint either an individual, or a licensed trust company as defined in the Trust Companies Act. 

You have the option to appoint a professional donee or professional deputy to carry out the duties as stipulated in the Mental Capacity Act for a chargeable fee.  

All professional deputies and donees must be certified and registered with the OPG. They must also meet stringent qualifying criteria and pass a certification course. 

TOUCH has a pool of registered professionals who can provide this service for you. 

Costs include a one-time set-up fee and annual fees.  

When a person becomes mentally incapacitated, the charges for the duties undertaken by the Professional Donees are tallied at an hourly rate.  

This is based on the powers given by the donor in the LPA and the hourly rate agreed upon at the point of engagement. 

Individuals may also refer to the list of PDD services on the OPG website to learn more.

• They possess relevant expertise as professional donees and are registered with the OPG. These individuals are required to take courses and sit for an examination to aid in the understanding of their roles and responsibilities. 
• Professional donees, such as lawyers, social workers, and accountants, offer reliable service as they are members of professional bodies and bound by their own codes of conduct and ethics.  
• They serve as neutral parties with no vested interests, as their role concludes upon the passing of the donor. 
• Professional donees take the time to understand the donor's wishes, preferences, and asset information before any loss of mental capacity. This ensures that they can act in the donor's best interests after incapacity. 
• A professional donee ensures that the donor need not burden their family members with this role and the responsibilities that come with it.  

Follow these four simple steps: 

1. Reach out to us at 9653 1076 to find out more

2. Sign the letter of engagement to appoint a professional donee 

3. Complete and submit the LPA form

4. Meet your professional donee 

Additionally, we conduct an annual review with all LPA Donors to ensure their wishes and preferences are up to date.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is dedicated to safeguarding the dignity and interests of vulnerable individuals lacking mental capacity. They oversee the registers of LPAs and court orders appointing deputies. 

More importantly, they certify, maintain, and supervise all deputies and professional donees, requiring them to submit regular written reports.  

Additionally, the OPG investigates any alleged violations of the Mental Capacity Act, including complaints about the exercise of powers by donees or deputies. 

The OPG also heads a board of visitors, which conducts visits to individuals lacking capacity, donees, or deputies, upon request by the public guardian or the court, to ensure their well-being. 

For further details, visit the OPG website.

ACP is not a legal document. But it is never too late to document your wishes, personal beliefs, and values early with the help of an ACP facilitator.  

It is important to make your healthcare preferences known. This is to cater for different medical scenarios that you may find yourself in.  

If you are above 21 years old, you can make an ACP regardless of your health condition and change it at any time. 

• Allows you to express autonomy and make choices in advance about your care preferences before passing 
• Relieves your loved ones of the burden and stress of decision-making by providing clear guidance
• Aids healthcare professionals and your loved ones by informing them of your preferences, beliefs, and values  
• Enables the healthcare team to teach your Nominated Healthcare Spokesperson faster

Follow these simple steps: 

1. Book an appointment by calling 9653 1076 during office hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm), or email  enquirypdd@touch.org.sg if you need more information 
2. Attend a 60-minute ACP Session: choose from Tele-ACP or one-to-one sessions at TOUCH centres located at Bukit Merah, Toa Payoh, and Ang Mo Kio 

Afterwards, the ACP facilitator will complete and upload your ACP documentation with the National Electronic Healthcare Record system.