Being Prepared for Life’s Unexpected Events is One of The Most Caring Gift’s Seniors & Their Family Members Can Give One Another
Conversations With Seniors Aren’t Usually About a Power of Attorney or a Personal Directive?! But Should They Be?
The negativity surrounding aging is the golden reason to why it should be discussed with people who make a valuable difference in our lives, especially our families. By conquering our fears and examining problems in greater depth, we can begin making proactive choices and taking preventative actions to give our loved ones the strength for tomorrow. At Harmony Caregiving we have offer a variety of care options to empower seniors to make informed decisions and plans that best suit their future goals.
What Is Continuing Care?
Our Provincial Continuing Care system is run by Alberta Health Services (AHS). According to their website Continuing Care is defined as, “an integrated range of services supporting the health and well-being of individuals living in their home, supportive living or long-term care setting. Continuing care clients are not defined by age, diagnosis or the length of time they may require service, but by their need for care.”
There are three main approaches to medical care in Alberta.
Defined by AHS as the following:
- Medical care: Medical tests and interventions are used to cure or manage an illness as well as possible but don’t use resuscitative or life support measures. Medical care is appropriate when resuscitative, and life support measures won’t work or when a person chooses not to receive such treatments. Medical care can be provided in many locations, depending on the person’s wishes and values as well as medical appropriateness.
- Resuscitative Care: The focus is to prolong or preserve life using any medical or surgical means including, if needed, resuscitation and admission to Intensive Care.
- Comfort Care: In this approach to care, the aim of medical tests and interventions are for optimal symptom control and maintenance of function when cure or control of an underlying condition is no longer possible or desired. Transfer to a hospital may occur to better understand or control symptoms.
Why have the Discussion Today Regarding Medical Care Tomorrow?
Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace until Death or Disability is Decided FOR You
The Need for Personal Directives and Goals of Care Designation Documents for Seniors
When writing a Personal Directive, it is recommended by AHS that seniors select one or more trusted persons (e.g., family members or friends), to represent and advocate for them in health care situations where they are unable to represent themselves. These individuals will be their “agents” and act on their wishes should circumstance dictate. Seniors in need of someone else to make key decisions are given a capacity assessment. If it is determined that they are unable to make decisions the agents are then able to act on the senior’s behalf. The Government of Alberta continues to write that it’s important you write a personal directive when you can still make your own decisions. Your agent does not step in until you need help, which is confirmed through a capacity assessment. If you get better you can take back the power to make your own decisions.
It is also advised by AHS that the person selected to act as an agent for the senior be fluent and proficient in the English language to avoid any miscommunication. Seniors may not envision themselves ever needing nursing care, but a sudden accident, fall or mishap can land them in a hospital or a long care facility in a very short time. Such health concerns or crisis can occur overnight, so it becomes particularly important that your senior loved one has a Personal Directive in place. This allows them to have control over who makes key health-care decisions for them when unable to do so themselves.
Another benefit of writing or registering a Personal Directive is that there is no cost involved. More details and step by step guidance on how to construct a Personal Directive can be located by visiting www.humanservices.alberta.ca/guardianship-trusteeship/personal.
Substitute Decision-Makers for Seniors
Typically the substitute decision-maker makes these decisions by consulting with the seniors medical/healthcare team, getting advice from others and also giving consideration to the seniors values and wishes. For this reason, it is strongly suggested that this substitute decision-maker be someone who is close to the senior and knows them well. Please visit the above link to find more information on the topic of substitute decision-makers and a list of questions that will be helpful for the substitute decision-maker to consider when making decisions.
The Need for Power of Attorney Documents for Seniors
According to OakNet, a resource for aging seniors, “A Power of Attorney is a written, signed, dated and witnessed a document that gives someone else the right, while you are still alive, to act on your behalf with respect to your financial affairs, including debts. This document can either take effect immediately upon signing and continue if you become incapable of managing your financial affairs, or take effect only upon you becoming incapable of managing your financial affairs, or some other specified event (this is known as a “Springing” Power of Attorney).”
This type of legal document is advantageous to seniors in that they can choose the person, family member or someone they trust, who will take over their financial decisions for them when the need arises. This individual has the ability to decide whether or not the senior is mentally incapacitated and therefore unable to make financial decisions. So it is of extreme importance that whoever is selected be someone the senior trusts. In the case where a senior does not select someone to represent their financial affairs then the decision as to whether the senior is mentally incapacitated is completed by two medical practitioners.
Having a Power of Attorney is particularly important in that it can give both the senior and their family caregivers peace of mind as to who will control the finances and/or how they will be allocated should be the senior become incapacitated. Having access to a senior’s finances can help trusted family caregivers in that it gives them the ability to provide for the senior’s personal and health costs not covered by public programs or funding. This way they can provide the appropriate and needed services for their senior loved one without having to worry about depleting their own financial resources, which can be a huge strain on family members. The senior’s finances can also be used towards additional/optional services or home modifications that can vastly improve their overall quality of life.
Unfortunately, there are times when a senior may become incapacitated before preparing a Power of Attorney document. In such cases, the court system has the ability to select a trustee to handle the seniors financial affairs. To read more concerning how trustees are appointed and their overall role, please visit the following link: www.oaknet.ca/content/power-attorney.
The benefits of Alberta’s new Green Sleeve Program for Seniors
Wearing Your Heart’s Wishes on Your Green Sleeve
Can’t we Just use Personal Directive Forms or Online Wills and Power of Attorney Forms?
We strongly encourage you to speak with a specialist when dealing with sensitive legal matters. This page is designed to be informative only and we encourage you to seek the advice of a professional before making a decision.
- Can help you find ways of initiating the conversation with your loved ones concerning Advance Directives and care.
- Assist you and your senior loved ones with the planning process when creating Advance Directives like a Personal Directive, Goals of Care Designation document and Power of Attorney documents.
- Provide you with information about the Continuing Care system within Alberta including the public, non-profit and private services available.
- Offer you and your senior loved one emotional support and an objective ear to explore your plans or ideas when creating your Advance Directive documents.
Need a Power of Attorney or Personal Directive? Don’t worry we can help! To learn more about the Continuing Care system in Alberta, including Home Care for Seniors, Supportive Living, and Long Term care, please stay tuned for next article What is Home Care and is it a Good Option for your Senior Loved One?