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Age Care Planning

Age Care Planning

Tags: Family Care
Last updated by The FiftyUp Team on

Most of us have planned for our futures at one point or another, but a lot of us might have not planned for one of the most important things that will happen to all of us: growing older, particularly ageing care.

Though one might not like the idea of age/advance care planning, one does need to think about it because age care planning is very important because you and your family are planning your personal care and health care for when you are older.

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PLANNING CARE STARTS IN YOUR HANDS

Reflect on what is important to you. Some things to consider are:

  • How is your current health?
  • What does your future hold?
  • What are your beliefs about religion/spirituality and does that affect your medical treatment?
  • Are there treatments you would not want to have or definitely want to have?
  • What is important for you to live well?
  • What do you value most in life?

What would you want to happen if:

  • Something happened to you
  • You cannot recognise or understand your family
  • You cannot eat or drink
  • You lost your independence and needed help for everything

Consider what life-prolonging treatment you want:

  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • Artificial ventilation (breathing machines)
  • Tube feeding
  • Dialysis (kidney machine)
  • Palliative care

After you have done the above, speak to your family, friends, and doctors about what you have thought about.

Appoint a substitute decision maker who will be your voice if you cannot express your decisions yourself.

  • When appointing a person to make decisions on your behalf, make sure it is someone you trust.
  • Your substitute decision maker must also be over the age of 18.
  • Complete a relevant form for your state or territory (link below)

Make sure you have documented your care instructions.

  • Write out your care instructions.
  • Give those care instructions to your substitute person, health care provider and to anyone who will need to know your plan

When you’re ready, find the forms and requirements for you Age Care Directives below.

ACT NSW NT QLD
SA TAS VIC WA


Download a personal care guide HERE or a guide to getting started HERE.

Have you helped someone with age care? Do you have helpful advice? Leave a comment below.

Originally posted on .

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Gertraud
Gertraud from ACT commented:

The thing missing from the above list is voluntary euthanasia! I absolutely do not want to end up vegetable like and the thought of palliative care gives me the horrors. At the age of 71, I still hope that the law regarding euthanasia will change before I get much older, but if it does not, then a trip to Switzerland might be on the cards 

lyn
lyn from NSW commented:

I recently went to a seminar on on "Care in the Home" and how the government is involved with packages. I am 71 and there were people there in their 90"s. I was horrified at what they were suggesting. As I understood from the Seminar, an older person in need of help needs to register by email (a lot of this age do not have a computer) or ring ( a lot of them are not great on hearing. They spoke about "portals" which my 84 year old neighbour thought were "portable toilets'. They were supposed to do a power-point presentation but it didn't work and they were running around to print the information out. Once you are registered, then you can get minimum help. When you need more help you can apply for a government package and interview 3 providers who will handle the package when and if you get one, up to $50,000. Or you can do it yourself, pay all the bills, pay all the wages of the carers you employ yourself. How can an elderly person interview 3 providers? With no previous experience what do they ask them? Suddenly all these providers are popping up and they will be setting up shops. I was disgusted at what they were saying and from experience I would suggest everyone taking on a provider needs a solicitor or someone to look over the contract. This is because you can lose money if you don't like the provider and want to change.. Dee The provider employs the carers.once you have a package.. One gentleman was 96 and asked if having a provider would get him a taxi earlier instead of waiting for 2 hours to get one. i 

Glenys
Glenys from QLD replied to lyn:

That's really sad Lyn, and so very wrong. I've learnt a bit about how some of the aged care process works (Mum's just turned 91 & I've helped her with some of it) and I've been amazed at the number of processes that the majority of elderly people (as you so rightly pointed out) couldn't possibly be expected to deal with. That's the sad part. Then there are the people who've always made all their decisions independently and who become genuinely distressed at not only realising they have no clue how to do any of this, but also at then having to have someone handle it for (&/or with) them. Mum's lucky in that she's on a VA pension, so she has access to more services than those on a govt pension, but even so, it's really difficult at times. The thing with pre-arranged taxis and drivers has caused Mum so much stress with the ridiculous rules - you can't pre-order a car for your return journey home. You have to call them again when you need it. Then wait. And wait. If they turn up at all (often the case). All of which creates more & more distress (& yet more at the thought of going through it all again next time). How and why are these stupid rules (for so many aged care situations) devised, with so little (if any) understanding of the realities of elderly people dealing with them? All very sad, and also quite frightening when I think about all of that happening to me in another 20>30 years time. 

John
John from VIC commented:

Very informative with all the information & relevant forms in one place regarding medical - However only one side of the story. . It would be great to see a similar version for appointing somebody for the financial matters. 

FiftyUp Club
FiftyUp Club replied to John:

Hi John, Thank you and that article is in the works for a series of articles about age care planning. 

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