Planning Ahead

Planning Ahead is about taking control of your future. It is about putting things in place. It means that your choices will be known and acted on if you cannot express them yourself at some time in the future.

This may happen if you have a sudden accident, become very ill or develop a condition that affects your memory and your planning ability.

Thinking about your future and making your wishes known in advance can help reduce family stress and conflict during times of crisis.

Watch and share this short Planning Ahead Video with your family, friends and colleagues about the importance of Planning Ahead. It talks about what you can do, how, and why we all need to discuss our wishes with our loved ones.

Planning Ahead Animation

Early planning

It is important for all adults to understand the benefits of early planning. Various legal tools are available to help secure future health, financial, legal and personal choices – such as:

It is never too early to plan ahead:

  • Talk to your family now about your future wishes.
  • Act now to protect your future rights, wishes, values and preferences.

An Enduring Power of Guardianship, Medical Power of Attorney or Anticipatory Direction completed prior to 1 July 2014 is still legally effective. Or you can make a new Advance Care Directive to replace them.

Free legal advice

For free legal information and advice you can contact the Legal Services Commission.
Telephone:  1300 366 424
Office hours: Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 4.30 pm

Office of the Public Advocate Information and Advice

For advice and information about the use of Advance Care Directives, see the information pages on this website. The Office's information and advice line can be called on (08) 8342 8200.

The Office also operates a dispute resolution service, should there be conflict related to either a health consent matter or an Advance Care Directive.

Other information and resources

The Planning Ahead initiative was lauched on 4th September 2014. The text above has been adapted from the Planning Ahead web page of SA Health.