If you are from a different culture, it may be helpful to write down how you would like to be cared for at the end of life. Health professionals may not always know about your culture or what traditions you would prefer. It would be helpful if you could explain to them if this could become an issue with other family members, friends or others who might be involved in your care.
Other relevant arrangements and terms
You do not need to seek professional advice when creating an advance care directive, however many people choose to do so. There are places that you can go to get help. This includes:
- the Public Trustee
- a community legal centre
- a solicitor
- professional nursing organisations
- professional palliative care organisations
- seniors information services
- others who have had training on advance care planning and advance care directives.
Each state and territory has different laws covering advance care directives. You can find out about relevant state or territory information via links below:
Enduring power of attorney
An Enduring Power of Attorney is usually a document about financial decision-making for a person who can’t make their own financial decisions. In some states / territories it may also include medical treatment decision-making. This document enables another person to look after your financial affairs and sometimes healthcare decisions if you can’t do it yourself. The person who is the Enduring Power of Attorney finishes their role at the time of death.
Enduring power of guardianship
An Enduring Power of Guardianship is a healthcare and lifestyle document. It allows you to appoint your own guardian if you won’t be able to make healthcare or lifestyle decisions. You can only create this document when you understand the consequences of what you are telling others that you want. This is before you can no longer make your own decisions. This is because an Enduring Guardianship will allow other people to make many decisions for you if you were to lose your mental capacity. It may include where you will live (such as in a nursing home, if needed).
The enduring power of attorney or guardianship documents are important legal documents that allow others to decide on the kinds of medical treatment you will receive. They will also choose your place of care, and other activities that may need to take place when you are not able to make these decisions for yourself. This may sound a bit scary at first. Often when people begin the process of writing an advance care directive or advance care plan, they report feeling better that they have organised their affairs.
