Abstract
Guardianship laws have changed significantly over the 20th and 21st centuries to shift
from the “best interests” model to the “supported decision-making” model. Such changes
reflect the importance of supporting the dignity of risk of persons who lack decision-making
capacity for some decisions. Recent changes to the Victorian Guardianship and Administration
Act 2019 (Vic) in Australia require guardians to give effect to the “will and preferences”
of the represented person, as far as practicable. The changes reveal a compromise
between the competing rights to autonomy and to safety. Here, we explore the meaning
of “will and preferences” before considering the personal factors that may contribute
to the understanding of an individual’s will and preferences. The practical challenge
of ascertaining, interpreting, and giving effect to a person’s will and preferences
are also discussed. Finally, we consider the practical challenge of identifying when
a person needs decision-making support.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 11, 2022
Footnotes
Funding sources: Three authors are affiliated with or employed by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, which is also a funding source. Two authors are affiliated with or employed by the Office of the Public Advocate (Victoria). The authors have no other potential financial or personal interests that may constitute a source of bias.
This work was supported by the Department of Health and Human Services, Seniors, Ageing and Aged Care Branch, Health and Wellbeing Division, Victoria, Australia, and the Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University. None of the funders influenced the design, methods, subject recruitment, data collection, analysis, or preparation of the paper.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency or departments of the Australian Federal Government, the State Government of Victoria, Monash University, the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, or the Coroners Court of Victoria.
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© 2022 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
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July 13, 2022
July 2022 Issue: Psychosocial Issues in Care of Older Persons
Host: Dr. Karl Steinberg. Featuring Dr. Philip Sloane, Dr. Mallory Brown; recorded on July 18, 2022
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