Wills and Advanced Care Directive
Club Member Miles Harper gave a presentation at the Goody on this important subject.
There may be a time when it necessary to appoint someone to manage your financial, medical or personal affairs’ This may be because there’s an immediate short-term need such as an overseas trip or a long-term need to plan for an aged person or someone with a disability or illness.
An Advanced Care Directive gives those who care for you a clear understanding of your needs and wishes should you lose the ability to communicate them yourself. This could include an accident or mental health episode , dementia, a sudden stroke or because you are unconscious or in a coma. This can happen at any age or stage of life.
If such events did happen how would you want decisions to be made for you about your health care, living arrangements and other personal matters? Who would you want to make those decisions for you?
The Advanced Care Directive is an important point step in forward planning for your health care. If you give a person ‘power of attorney’ it does not mean you lose control over your affairs. You can still deal with all matters. A power of attorney can be created for a specified time-otherwise it ceases when you die or, if you become legally incapacitated you must make an ‘enduring power of attorney’ means your financial affairs can be looked after by someone you know and trust. That trust may a be Lawyer if it is complex who then can prepare you documentation. Well presented Miles unravelling many of the complications that can occur.
Miles was thanked for his presentation.