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VICTORIA - New simple, cost-effective planning tools are now available to capable adults wanting to plan for a time when they are unable to make their own decisions independently.

By completing new, standardized forms, capable adults can appoint someone to make decisions on their behalf or record their future instructions in the event they become incapable of deciding for themselves. This can include personal care (including health care), financial and legal decisions. An adult may be incapable of making their own decisions as a result of mental illness, developmental disability, brain injury or diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer's disease.

These planning options and forms took effect Sept. 1 and result from updates to the Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act, Power of Attorney Act and Representation Agreement Act.

Quick Facts:

• Almost one-sixth of B.C.'s population is over 65 years old. The number of seniors is doubling from 676,000 to an estimated 1,324,000 over the next 20 years.
• The fastest-growing segment of B.C.'s population is those over 75. In the next 25 years, the number of B.C. residents over 75 is projected to increase by 130 per cent, from under 317,000 to over 730,000. B.C.'s population is expected to grow only 33 per cent in that time.
• Adults can provide their attorneys and representatives with full or specific decision-making powers.
• Changes broaden the list of people eligible to be temporarily chosen to make health-care decisions on a person's behalf if they, or the Supreme Court of British Columbia, have not appointed anyone to make substitute decisions or filled out an advance directive.
• Emergency medical assistants are included in the list of health-care professionals bound by the decisions outlined in an advance directive, where known.
• The Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act establishes a process for making an application to court to resolve health care consent disputes.
• Valid enduring powers of attorney and representative agreements made before Sept. 1, 2011 will remain valid.
• Standard forms for enduring powers of attorney and representation agreements are now available online at: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/incapacity-planning
• Adult guardianship reforms passed by the legislature will be brought into force at a later date. These reforms will modernize the law relating to court and statutory guardianship for people who choose not to plan for incapacity or whose plans fail.

Learn More:

Ministry of Health: www.health.gov.bc.ca/hcc/advance-care-planning.html

Seniors BC: www.seniorsbc.ca

Ministry of Attorney General: www.ag.gov.bc.ca/incapacity-planning/

Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia: www.trustee.bc.ca

Media contacts:

Ministry of Health
Media line: 250 952-1887

Ministry of the Attorney General
Sarah Harrison, Communications Director
250 387-4965