Everyone has the right to play an active role in making decisions that affect them, and to receive the support they need to do so.

An adult is presumed to have decision-making capacity, unless there is evidence to the contrary. This presumption includes people with disability and people living in residential aged care facilities. It is the responsibility of the treating health practitioner to determine if a person has capacity to make a specific decision.

Where possible, you should support a person to make their own decisions about their future care.

This booklet is written for parents, relatives or significant others in the lives of Victorian adults who do not have capacity to make some decisions, or who may need support to make some decisions. A person may not be able to make, or may need support to make, some decisions for themselves. This can be as a result of:

• an intellectual or cognitive disability
• a mental or emotional illness
• an acquired brain injury
• an inability to communicate decisions

If you need to help the person you care for make daily decisions, and something happens to you, you may be concerned about who will care for them. However, there are actions you can take now to ensure safeguards are in place, should they be required. This booklet gives you information about:

• applying for an administrator to make decisions about a financial matter, or matters, for the person
• appointing an attorney under an enduring power of attorney so that decisions can be made for you if you cannot do this yourself
• making a Will or superannuation pension so your assets are passed on in the way you have chosen
• planning your personal estate and superannuation so that your assets are passed on in the most financially efficient way