September 12-16 is Planning Ahead Week and it’s time to take control of your future!

Depending on your stage of life or circumstances you can decide which of these tools will help you plan ahead..

• Appointing an attorney through an Enduring Power of Attorney who can manage legal and financial affairs if you are no longer able to.
• Make an Advance Care Directive which is a legal document where a person is able to write down his or her instructions, wishes and preferences for future health care, accommodation and personal matters, and/or appoint one or more substitute decision makers who are people chosen to made decisions on his or her behalf in any period of impaired decision making capacity, or as determined by the person.
• Making a Will to appoint an executor and to direct your estate to be distributed according to your wishes on death

Where can I get additional advice?

You can get advice from the Office of the Public Advocate Information & Advisory Service on 08 8342 8200 and Legal Services Commission information service on phone number 1300 366 424.

Further information can also be found at  http://www.lsc.sa.gov.au/ and SA Health http://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/planningahead