if you can’t make your own decisions, who will make them ... · pdf fileif you...

If you can’t make your own decisions, who will make them for you?

You can decide:

• Whatmedicaltreatmentyouhavebymakinganadvance health directive.

• Whowillmakeyourlifestyleandmedicaltreatmentdecisionsbymakinganenduring power of guardianship.

• Whowillhelpyouandmakedecisionsaboutyourmoneybymakinganenduring power of attorney.

Thesearewaysthatyoucanplanforyourfuture.

Why do I need to plan ahead?

Everyonehopesthattheywillstayhealthyandwellandwillnotneedanyhelp.

Whenyouarewell–mentallyandphysically–youmakeyourowndecisionsandlookafteryourself.Whenyoucandothisyouhavefullcapacity.

Butsometimessomethingcanhappentoyourbrain–youcouldhaveanaccidentorgetsickandnotbeabletomakeyourowndecisions.

Ifthishappens,youhavelostcapacityandsomeoneelsemightneedtomakedecisionsforyou.

Ifyouplanaheadyoucanchoosethepersonwhowillmakedecisionsforyouif,foranyreason,youarenotabletomakethemforyourselfinthefuture.

How could I lose capacity?

Therearemanyreasonswhyyoucouldlosecapacitytomakedecisionsforyourself,including:

• dementia(adiseaseofthebrain)

• acquiredbraininjury(aresultofafallorcaraccident)

• substancerelatedbraindamage(aresultofusingtoomanydrugsordrinkingtoomuchalcohol)

• mentalillness(anillnessofthebrainlikedepressionorschizophrenia)

• intellectualdisability(usuallyfrombirth,forexampleDown’sSyndromeorfoetalalcoholsyndrome).

Ifyoulosecapacity,youmaybetoldyouhaveadecision-makingdisability.

What does it mean to have a decision-making disability?

Havingadecision-makingdisabilitymeansthatyoucan’tunderstandwhatthedoctororhealthworkerorothersaretellingyouaboutyoursituationandthedifferentchoicesthatyoucouldmake.

I want to plan ahead – what can I do?

Therearethreewaysthatyoucanplanahead,andchoosehowyourdecisionswillbemadeifyoulosecapacitytomakedecisionsforyourselfinthefuture.

1. An advance health directive

Inthisdocumentyoucanwritedownyourdecisionsabouttreatmentandotherhealthcare.Youcandecidenowwhatmedicaltreatmentyoudoordonotwanttobegivenifyoulosecapacity.

Talktoyourdoctororhealthworkeraboutyourviewsandwishes.Yourdoctororhealthworkercanhelpyouwritedownwhattreatmentyoudoordonotwanttobegiveninthefuture.

Theseinstructionsinyouradvancehealthdirectivewillbefollowedbythedoctorifyoucan’tmakethedecisionforyourself–sothisisawaytomakesureyourwishesabouttreatmentarefollowed.

2. An enduring power of guardianship

Inthisdocumentyoucannamethepersonwhoyouchoosetomakedecisionsaboutyourlifestyleandmedicaltreatmentifyoulosecapacity.

Thepersonyouchoosetoappointasyourdecision-makeriscalledanenduring guardian.Theyareonlyallowedtomakedecisionsifyoulosecapacity.

Yourenduringguardiancanmakedecisionsabout:

• whereyoulive,andwhoyoulivewith

• medical,dentalandotherhealthtreatment

• services

• contactwithothers.

3. An enduring power of attorney

Inthisdocumentyoucannamethepersonwhoyouchoosetomakedecisionsaboutyourfinances.Thepersonyouchoosetoappointasyourdecision-makeriscalledanattorney.

Itisuptoyoutodecidewhenyourattorneycanhelpyouwithyourfinancesandmoneymatters.Youcangivethemtheauthoritytostarthelpingyouimmediately,oronlytomakefinancialdecisionsforyouifyoueverlosecapacity.

Iftheystarthelpingyouwhileyoustillhavecapacity,youwilltellthemwhattodo.Thiscanbeusefulifyoufindithardtogotothebanktopaybills.

Yourattorneycanmakedecisionsabout:

• pension

• everydayexpensesandbills

• saleorleaseofproperty.

What are the rules for making these documents?

Whenyoucompletethesedocumentstoplanforthefutureyoumust:

• beatleast18yearsofage

• havefullcapacitywhenthedocumentissignedbyyou

• usetherightform–theformsareavailablefromthewebsiteslistedattheendofthisbrochure

• signtheform,andtwopeoplemustwitnessyoursignature.

Oneofthepeoplewhowatchesyousigntheformmustbeanauthorisedwitness,suchasyourdoctororbankmanager.ThereisalistofpeopleauthorisedtowitnessyoursignatureontheOfficeofthePublicAdvocate’swebsite:www.publicadvocate.wa.gov.au

Who do I tell about the plans I have made?

Ifyoudecidetomakeanyofthesedocumentstoplanforthefutureitisuptoyouwhoyoutell.

Itmaybeagoodideatotalktoyourfamilyandfriendsaboutyourplans.

Thiswillmeaneveryoneknowsaboutyourchoicesandunderstandswhatyouwanttohappenifyoulosecapacityandcan’tmakeyourowndecisionsinthefuture.

Do I have to fill in these documents?

No–itisuptoyoutodecideifyouwanttouseanyofthemtohelpplanforthefuture.

No one can force you to fill them in.

Ifyouareworriedbecausesomeoneisforcingyoutofilltheminwhenyoudonotwantto,youshouldtalktosomeoneyoutrustwhocanhelpyousay‘no’tothatperson.

If I don’t want to make these documents, how will decisions about my health and medical treatment be made if I can’t make them for myself?

Ifyouarenotabletomakedecisionsforyourselfandyouneedtreatment,thedoctorwillasksomeoneonthelistofdecision-makerstomakethedecisionaboutyourtreatment.Thislistissetoutopposite.

Thedoctorwillgetthedecisionfromthefirstpersononthelistwhoisatleast18yearsold,hasfullcapacityandwhoiswillingandavailabletomakethedecision.Thislistiscalledthe‘Hierarchyofdecisionmakers’.

What happens if I need urgent treatment and no one is around to talk to the doctor?

Ifyouneedurgenttreatmenttosaveyourlifeorpreventyoubeinginpain,thedoctorcantreatyouwithoutspeakingtofamilyorfriends.

Afterthisthedoctorwillneedtofindsomeonewhocanmakeadecisionaboutanynon-urgenttreatmentthatyouneed.Thedoctorwillgetthedecisionfromthefirstpersononthelistbelow.

Hierarchy of decision makers

Advance Health DirectiveDecisionsmustbemadeinaccordancewith

theAHDunlesscircumstanceshavechangedorcouldnothavebeenforeseenbythemaker.

Enduring Guardian withauthority

Guardian withauthority

Spouse or de facto partner

Adult son or daughter

Parent

Sibling (a brother or sister)

Primary unpaid caregiver

Other person with close personal relationship

WhereanAdvanceHealthDirective(AHD)doesnotexistordoesnotcoverthetreatmentdecisionrequired,thehealthprofessionalmustobtainadecisionfornon-urgenttreatmentfromthefirstpersoninthehierarchywhois18yearsofageorolder,hasfulllegalcapacityandiswillingand

availabletomakeadecision.

What happens if I have looked at the list and I do not think that the person the doctor should contact is the person I want to make treatment decisions for me? What can I do?

Itispossiblethatthepersonthedoctorshouldcontactisnotthepersonyouwanttomaketreatmentdecisionsforyou.Thiscouldbefordifferentreasonssuchas:

It is not the way it works in your culture or family–Forexample,thepersonthedoctorshouldcontactasstatedonthelistisyourdaughter,butculturallyyourbrothershouldmakedecisionsforyouifyouarenotabletomakethemforyourself.

Someone else knows more about you–Forexample,thepersonthedoctorshouldcontactasstatedonthelistisyourdaughter,butyouhavenotseenherforalongtimeandyourfriendsknowyoubetter.

The person on the list does not have the same views and opinions as you do about medical treatment–Forexample,thepersonthedoctorshouldcontactasstatedonthelistdoesnotagreewithdoctorsgivingabloodtransfusion,butyouknowyouwouldwantthisifitwasneeded.

Where can I get help and more information about these three ways to plan for the future?

The Department of Health

TheDepartmentofHealthcanprovideinformationandabookletontheadvancehealthdirective.

Thebookletandformcanalsobedownloadedfromthewebsite:www.health.wa.gov.au/advancecareplanning

T:92222300

E:acp@health.wa.gov.au

The Office of the Public Advocate

TheOfficeofthePublicAdvocatecanprovideinformationandabookletontheenduringpowerofguardianship.

Theenduringpowerofguardianshipandtheenduringpowerofattorneybookletsandformscanbedownloadedfromthewebsite:www.publicadvocate.wa.gov.au

T:1300858455

E:opa@justice.wa.gov.au

Thisdocumentcanbemadeavailableinalternativeformatsonrequestforapersonwithadisability.

2015

Ifyouthinkthelist(calledthe‘Hierarchyofdecisionmakers’)meansthedoctorwillnottalktotherightperson,thisisagoodreasonforyoutothinkaboutmakinganenduring power of guardianshipbecauseyoucan:

• Choosewhoyouwanttomakedecisionsaboutyourlifestyleandmedicaltreatment–andgivethemlegalauthoritytobeyourdecision-maker.

• Makesurethatpersonistherightpersontotalktoinyourfamilyorculture.

• Makesureyourfamilyandyourdoctorsknowwhoyouhavechosentomakedecisionsaboutyourlifestyleandtreatmentforyourhealth.