These documents let you choose someone you trust to make decisions if you’re unable to whether that’s due to illness, injury, or incapacity. An Enduring Power of Attorney covers financial and personal matters, while an Appointment of Medical Treatment Decision Maker allows someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.

Putting these in place means your wishes are known and respected, and your care and wellbeing are in the hands of someone who understands what matters to you.

An Enduring Power of Attorney lets you appoint someone to make financial and personal decisions, such as paying bills, managing accounts, or choosing where you live, if you lose the ability to make those decisions yourself. You can only make this appointment while you still have decision-making capacity, and you can choose when it takes effect. For example, it may only begin once you’ve lost capacity, or earlier if you prefer.

An Appointment of Medical Treatment Decision Maker allows you to nominate someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you’re no longer able to. This can include choices about treatment, ongoing care, or, in some cases, difficult decisions near the end of life, such as whether to continue life support.

You may also wish to create an Advance Care Directive, which lets you record your values and preferences for medical treatment. This can guide your decision maker and healthcare team, especially in serious situations where you can’t speak for yourself. It’s a thoughtful way to make sure your wishes are understood and respected.