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Man taking council to court for the right to kiss his wife, who has dementia

He was made to sign an eight-point agreement for visits after a review said he was 'constantly kissing, pulling and poking his wife'

Louis Dore
Monday 22 June 2015 10:07 BST
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A man is taking a council to court after being told he must stop "constantly" kissing his wife, who has dementia, in order to continue visiting.

The man told the Daily Mail he is depressed after care home staff told him to stop kissing his wife when he visits.

He has been made to sign an eight-point agreement to continue seeing her, which says he can only kiss his wife once on arrival and once on departure.

The man's daily two-hour visits are supervised by staff after a court in 2012 ruled that his wife lacked the capacity to make decisions on her needs.

The rules came after a review claimed he was "constantly kissing, pulling and poking his wife, which she protests about."

The review also said the husband became "nastier and nastier" if she did not respond to him.

Care home staff reported feeling intimidated by the man, while there were also concerns that he would not return his wife if she were allowed a visit home.

A spokesman for Derby City Council said: "Where a person lacks capacity to make a decision for themselves ... any decisions made are done in the best interests of the adult following consultation with all parties involved, including family members.

"Where parties do not agree or the decision is complex, it is necessary for an application to be made to the Court of Protection.

"We are committed to supporting contact arrangements as set out in the court order."

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