Medical emergencies happen. Health changes. Planning ahead can make life’s turns easier and give you a say in your care. This section will help you do this.
Health planning
Advance care planning
Advance care planning is thinking about, talking about, and documenting the health and personal care you want now and in the future.
Advance care planning is important for every adult at any stage of life. It is best done when you are healthy, before there is an urgent need for it. Milestone moments are an especially good time to start advance care planning.
What's involved
Supported decision-making
Supported decision-making is an authorization process that allows adults who still have capacity (the supported adult) to select up to three individuals (supporters) to help them make personal decisions – but not financial decisions.
This authorization could help a capable adult when they:
- Are facing difficult decisions and would like help in the decision-making process.
- Are having difficulties communicating in English.
- Have other communications difficulties.
- Have mild disabilities.
- Need help for a short time due to a temporary condition.
A supporter has legal authority to:
- Access the adult's personal information needed to make a decision
- Help them communicate that decision
A supported decision-making authorization form is not registered anywhere, so the supported adult and the supporter should each have a copy.
Visit the Government of Alberta to learn more about supported decision-making and to download the supported decision-making authorization form.
More resources
Supported Decision-Making Authorization: A resource outlining the procedure for enacting supported decision-making from the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta’s OakNet website.
Organ and tissue donation in Alberta
Organ donation is when a person's organs (e.g., heart, lungs, kidneys) are removed and transplanted into another person. Tissue donation is when other parts of the body (e.g., bone, skin, eye components) are removed and transplanted into another person.
Feelings about organ and tissue donation are different for everyone. The decision to donate is a personal one. There is no right or wrong answer; it is based on your own beliefs and values.
Why is this important?
Organ and tissue donation can save or improve the lives of people in need of a transplant and can also have important research benefits. It can also be a way for individuals to leave a lasting legacy.
How do I become an organ or tissue donor?
You can register online at the Alberta Organ and Tissue Donation Registry, which provides Albertans with a simple method to communicate to healthcare teams and those closest to them through a record of their consent to donate. If you want to be a donor, let the people closest to you and your healthcare providers know. You can also include your decision to donate when you make your personal directive.
More resources
Organ and Tissue Donation in Alberta: A MyHealth Alberta resource on organ and tissue donation, including frequently asked questions.
Financial, estate and funeral planning
Enduring power of attorney
An enduring power of attorney is a legal document that outlines your financial instructions and who will make decisions for you (your attorney).
Every adult 18 years old and older should have an enduring power of attorney.
What's involved
Wills
A will is a legal document outlining how you would like your property, possessions and money to be given out after you die. It also allows you to name a guardian for any children who are minors and who will take care of your pet(s) when you die.
How to create a will
Funeral planning
Funeral planning is the process of deciding what you want done with your body after you die and the type of service you want held to honour and remember you.
Funeral preparations can be influenced by personal values and beliefs as well as cultural and religious practices. For example, many cultures have specific customs around the body, mourning periods, funeral attire and use of specific flowers and decorations.
Why is this important?
Planning your funeral ahead of time can provide you with peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be carried out as you want. Planning it ahead of time also prevents unnecessary financial costs and makes decision-making easier for the people that matter most to you.
Download the Government of Alberta’s Saying Farewell: A guide to assist you with pre-planning and with the death and dying process for more information about funerals, legal requirements surrounding death, burial, wills, estates, paperwork and financial assistance.
More resources
Funeral Planning in Alberta: A guide that outlines advance planning of funerals, types of funerals, types of services and further information services.
Planning Your Own Funeral in Alberta: A booklet by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta about your options and rights in pre-planning your funeral.
What next?
My Wishes Alberta workbook
- Think through what is most important to you about your life, health and personal care
- Share your wishes with the people who matter most to you, as well as with your health care providers
Completing this workbook will help prepare you and others to make important decisions about your care now and in the future.
My Wishes Alberta was adapted from Coming Full Circle, a resource developed by the Canadian Virtual Hospice and a national Circle of Elders and Knowledge Carriers, in consultation with an expert Alberta working group.
Get the workbook
Conversation starters and games
ACP Origami Game: Remember the fortune teller game you played at school? The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care has put a spin on this classic by including prompts and information related to medical, legal, and personal aspects of advance care planning to help you plan for the future. Available in English and Chinese.
Cards on Life, Death and Loss: A comprehensive set of cards developed by Paradigm UK to support conversations on life, death and loss.
Care Planning Cookies: Like fortune cookies, these care planning cookies come with a message inside, each intended to stimulate a conversation about living well and dying well.
Go Wish Game: The Go Wish Game allows you to understand and communicate what's important to you at end of life by sorting cards according to your personal priorities. Available in multiple languages.
Heart to Heart Cards: These bilingual Chinese/English cards created by the Chinese American Coalition for Compassionate Care facilitate conversations about end-of-life preferences in four areas: spiritual, social, financial and physical.
Hello Game: A game designed to prompt conversations with family and friends "about living and dying and what matters most." An Enterprise Edition is available for use with larger groups.
How Well Do You Know Me? Game: A game to test your family and friends’ knowledge. Sit with your loved ones or your substitute decision maker and ask any of the ten questions in this not-so-trivial pursuit of clarifying your wishes and values for your future care.
Get legal assistance
Calgary Legal Guidance: A non-profit pro bono legal organization that provides legal guidance and support to low-to-no-income Albertans. Calgary Legal Guidance has an Elder Law Program that can assist with personal directives, wills and estate planning and enduring powers of attorney for elders who have no access to paid legal services.
Center for Public Legal Education in Alberta has compiled a comprehensive list of organizations that provide free legal assistance for areas/communities of focus. For example, Alberta Legal Information Centre/Centre albertain d’information juridique provides French-language clinics and Calgary Chinese Community Service Association provides free will and estate documents drafting services.
Community Legal Clinic: Provides free legal services to people experiencing barriers, serving Central Alberta (Red Deer and area), Medicine Hat, Lloydminster and Fort McMurray.
Edmonton Community Legal Centre: A non-profit seeking to provide effective advocacy and access to justice in a supportive environment to persons living with low income. It also offers a Grande Prairie Clinic for people living in the Grande Prairie area.
Lethbridge Legal Guidance: Provides free legal assistance, information, and advocacy to individuals in the Lethbridge region experiencing financial difficulties who need legal services and representation and who do not qualify for legal aid.
Student Legal Services of Edmonton is a student-managed, non-profit society dedicated to helping low-income individuals in Edmonton and area understand their legal issues and solve their legal problems
Find a doctor or lawyer
Connect with a primary care clinic: This directory by Alberta’s Primary Care Networks can help you find a clinic, family doctor, nurse practitioner or team taking patients in your area based on your address, postal code, or community.
Lawyer Directory: This directory by the Law Society of Alberta can help you find a lawyer based on name, firm, location, practice areas, language(s) spoken, gender, and whether a lawyer offers limited scope retainers.
Plan Ahead toolkit for organizations
Are you or your organization interested in running initiatives to help members of your community plan ahead?
The Plan Ahead toolkit contains information on health, financial and estate planning in Alberta. It also provides guidance on running successful community initiatives on these topics.
Why advance care planning matters
Creating a personal directive allows you to share your wishes and name who will speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself.
ReadFebruary 21, 2019
