1. Community Education Session
Planning Ahead
Community Education Session
This presentation can be used in conjunction with the Planning Ahead Community Education Resource Kit and Planning Ahead Workbooks and information on the start2talk.org.au website.
Handouts (downloadable)
Brochures on substitute decision making
Start2Talk Information and work sheet booklet
Start2Talk Quick Guide to Planning Ahead

2. Learning outcomes
Understand the what, why and how of planning ahead including advance care planning
Identify where to go for more information, resources and documents

3. We plan for the big and little things in life…
birthdays, holidays, having a baby……
Birthdays
Holidays
Moving house
Graduating from school
Parties
Getting married
Having a baby
Getting divorced
Starting a new job
Ill health
Death

4. What if….sometimes the unexpected happens
Accidents, injuries or ill health can happen and sometimes when we least expect it………

5. Planning ahead for those unexpected happenings……
What if…… you were diagnosed with a life limiting or a chronic condition like dementia
It may take you a while to adjust to the news
You may decide that you want to plan ahead
The news may take you by surprise and it takes time to adjust to the news. Or maybe you had already guessed that something was not quite right that caused you to make that appointment to see your GP

6. Planning Ahead
It’s about planning for the rest of your life…..

7. Planning ahead: Information, resources and support
Planning ahead website at:
Your GP
Alzheimer’s Australia website at:
The Planning Ahead website can provide planning information and worksheets that can help you plan
Your GP and community agencies like Alzheimer’s Australia can provide information, resources, education and supports that can help you on your journey
You may want to find out more about dementia so that you can understand more about the diseaeand assist people to plan for the decisions you need to make now and into the future.

8. Planning what? Organising my finances
Choosing who will speak for you for health and personal care
Health: Advance care planning

9. Planning how? Handouts Download:
Start2talk information and Work sheet booklet
Start2talk Quick Guide to Planning Ahead
Complete Work sheets online
Individual planning Worksheets are available online

10. Video: Planning ahead including advance care planning
Available at: / Community and Health Professionals

11. Organising my finances
Making a Will
Reviewing your financial resources and plans
Organising your finances so another can help with their management
Appointing someone to manage your finances on your behalf
- Work sheet 2: Organising my finances
Making a will:
- Legal document and specifies who will inherit your assets when you die.
- You can organise your own will or see a private solicitor or a public trustee
Reviewing your financial resources and plans:
- Review financial resources including superannuation, house mortgages, life insurance and financial support of dependent children
Organising finances so another can help with their management:
- This is particularly important if one person in a couples relationship manages the finances and the bank accounts etc. are in their name only. If this person gets sick or can no longer manage the finances this makes it difficult for the other partner. One way to reduce these problems is to have all accounts in joint names, if agreed by both parties
- Legally appoint a person(s) to manage your affairs. This is called a :
- General Power of Attorney (Finances) – used only when you have capacity e.g. comes into affect for a specific period of time e.g. when you are going overseas and need someone at home to manage your affairs
- Enduring Power of Attorney (Finances) – the person appointed will manage the financial affairs to the extend specified in their appointment. This appointment endures into incapacity

12. Health and personal care: Choosing who will speak for you
We expect to make our own decisions related to health and living situation
But what if……we lose the capacity to make our own decisions
Identifying a appointing a person who will make decisions on our behalf is an important part of planning ahead.
– Work sheet 3: Who will be my spokesperson on healthcare issues?
The term for the person we appoint has different names across states and territories in Australia e.g. In ACT it is called an Enduring Power of Attorney for Health and Personal Care
The generic name for them is called a ‘substitute Decision Maker’

13. Who should you choose? It should be someone who…..
Listens to your wishes, choices and preferences
Is someone you trust to make decisions based on these wishes, choices and preferences even if these are different from their own
Is willing and able to speak on your behalf even in challenging situations e.g. family conflict or unresponsive institution or medical practitioner
Is in good health and will be available to act as your SDM into the foreseeable future.
Meets the criteria for being a SDM in your state or territory
Handouts: Substitute decision maker brochures available at start2talk.or.au
Who will speak for you if you can’t: How to choose a substitute decision maker for health and personal care decisions
Supporting a person to make their own decisions: When someone has reduced capacity but can make their own decisions with assistance
Can they decide for themselves: Assessing capacity to make health and personal care decisions
When you need to make a decision for someone..: Information for substitute decision makers

14. Substitute decision maker state or territory specific information
Links to specific state or territory government information, resources and documents are available at:

15. Planning ahead: Health
Planning ahead for health care is called advance care planning (ACP)
Advance care planning is a process of thinking about, and communicating your values, wishes and preferences so that these can guide decision making by your substitute decision makers and any health and personal care providers.
The important things from these conversations can be recorded in your state or territory specific advance care planning documents
Refer: – Worksheet 4A: General Statement about values, wishes and preferences

16. ACP specific information
Links to state or territory government ACP specific information, resources and documents are available at:

17. 3 Key messages Plan for the what ifs..........
Nominate a substitute decision maker
Have a conversation with your substitute decision maker on your values, wishes and preferences for financial, personal and health decisions

18. It’s about planning for the rest of your life…
Thankyou!

19. Acknowledgements
Development of these resources was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre (CDPC).
We would like to thank:
Stakeholder Advisory Committee
Project partners HammondCare, Alzheimer’s Australia, Brightwater Care Group and Kincare.
Community partners Alzheimer’s Australia ACT, National Seniors Illawarra and the representatives from the Alzheimer’s Australia’s National Dementia Consumer Network