What if you experience issues with capacity or cognition?

Conditions such as dementia may affect people ’ s ability to make dietary choices according to their values. You might be concerned about losing the capacity to select a vegan or vegetarian diet when receiving care.

To safeguard vegans and vegetarians receiving care, carers should consider capacity and ensure that decisions are made in accordance with an individual’ s values and beliefs.

When you are no longer able to make informed decisions, those caring for you are guided by the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.

They must follow five principles regarding capacity:

1. Benefit and 2. least restrictive option.

Any action or decisions taken must: • benefit you, the adult; • be the minimum necessary to achieve the purpose; • only be taken when that benefit cannot reasonably be achieved without it; • restrict your freedom as little as possible. 3. Take account of your past and present wishes and feelings. They should offer you appropriate assistance to communicate your views. 4. Consult with relevant others as far as reasonable and practicable –such your nearest relative, primary carer, named person, any guardian or attorney. 5. Encourage you, the adult, to exercise whatever skills you have concerning property, financial affairs or personal welfare4 .

The following pages detail what you can do as an individual to protect your vegan or vegetarian identity and rights.