The operation of the Bill needs to strike a balance between simplicity and ease of access and operation on one hand and adequate protections and safeguards to prevent abuse.
COTA SA welcomes the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the draft Powers of Attorney Bill 2021 (draft Bill).
Our submission includes input provided in response to a call out about the draft Bill from our staff and the COTA SA Policy Council.
We previously made a submission to the South Australian Law Reform Institute’s (SALRI) review of the SA Powers of Attorney legislation in September 2020.
We continue to be concerned about the prevalence of elder abuse, including financial abuse, experienced by older people. Powers of Attorney legislation provides an important mechanism to protect vulnerable South Australians from experiencing such abuse as they manage their affairs in instances of incapacity.
The submission includes feedback specific to the draft bill as well as general feedback about the draft bill and its operation.