Planning Ahead: Advance Care Planning
Planning Ahead: Advance Care Planning

Part 2: Future Planning: Legal and Financial Considerations

If you have dementia, it is important for you to be a part of advance care planning, including your financial and legal affairs, while you are able to make decisions and sign legal papers. Making arrangements in the early stages means that you are able to control your own future.

Here, we have two conversations. One is with a lawyer, and the other is with a care partner. They share advice to help you understand the importance of advance planning and to consider some first steps you should take.  Feel free to make some notes as you listen.

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Advice from a Lawyer: Doris Bonora

In this video, lawyer, Doris Bonora discusses the legal and financial documents that need to be prepared and what needs to be done to ensure the concerns and wishes of the person living with dementia are met. Doris explains the importance of doing this in the early stage while the person with the disease has capacity to make decisions.

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Advice from a Care Partner: Edith Stein

In this video, care partner Edith Stein, tells us about her experience of having her husband’s legal and financial plans in order.

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Key Points

Talk to your family. Make sure your money matters will be in the hands of someone you trust. Arrange for an Enduring Power of Attorney authorizing someone to legally make financial decisions on your behalf once you are no longer able to. Talk to a lawyer about naming someone to look after your financial interests.

Pull together your legal and financial documents such as:

  • Bank accounts
  • Mortgages
  • Insurance policies
  • Pension plans, Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs)
  • Investments
  • Home/car ownership
  • Last Will and Testament

In the parts that follow, we will explore more details about:

  • Enduring Power of Attorney
  • Personal Directives
  • Last Will and Testament
  • Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act

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More Learning Resources

Decision making and respecting independence

All About Me: A booklet designed for people living with dementia, to help them create a record of their background and what is important to them

Shared Experiences (Section 6): Planning for the Future: A booklet designed to answer some of your questions and concerns about living with Alzheimer's disease

First Steps after diagnosis

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