“…Whilst such involvement acknowledges that good familial and social networks certainly shape the perception of what is best for incapable patients (Keywood, 2003) -and therefore who better to help make these judgements than the older person's family members and close friends? -cautionary lessons from practice suggest that an over-reliance on relatives to safeguard the rights of incapacitated adults can sometimes lead to an erosion of the rights of incapable people and occasionally to their financial and physical abuse (Selwood and Cooper, 2009;Boyle, 2011;Bopp and Coleson, 1996;Keywood, 2003;Manthorpe, Samsi and Rapaport, 2012 (Redley, Clare, Luke and Holland, 2009) These concerns are echoed by Keywood, who identifies the difficulties relatives face accessing health and social care services when they are untrained or unsupported in that role (Keywood, 2003). Our own observations, albeit from a limited study carried out in a specific setting, suggest that family and close friends also struggle to deal with the emotional burdens associated with discharge planning (Stoller and Pugliesi, 1988) and lack timely information to make well-informed decisions about placement choices for patients at crucial planning meetings (Redley, Clare, Luke and Holland, 2009).…”