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Important update on Devolution

This update comes from the Leaders of Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council.

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‘Planning for the future helps people with Learning Disabilities live healthier and more fulfilled lives for longer’ Source: NICE – 2021 

 

“Making a future plan can be emotional and challenging for all of us, but we all know it is something we can do to relieve the worry for loved ones about making decisions for us and ensure our wishes are heard when maybe we aren’t able to voice them. For people with a learning disability there may be no family left to support them to make those decisions and have their voice heard and they could be left to make plans with people who do not know them as well. Families have told us that setting up support networks and making early but flexible plans have helped them to feel more at ease. They felt their family member had a voice in their own plan and the support network knew their family member much better as a result.”   -  Essex Carers Network 

Thinking about the future is an important aspect of growing older and becoming prepared for what might happen in the future. It helps people pre-empt issues that they may have to face and helps to equip them, in advance, to make life as easy as possible.

Creating a Future Plan includes giving time to consider what the person wants most in life as they get older.

 

 

There are key areas to think about when producing a Future Plan:

Does the current housing meet their needs? 

If still living in the family home, will the person you care for be able to stay there if anything happens/changes for you? 

How could it be adapted for the future if necessary? 

What other type of places might be suitable if your relative had to move, say for example due to a change in health needs?  

Could you help plan for this to make things easier when change happens?  

Are your views and the views of the person you care for written down?  

What general Health Checks are needed as your loved one ages?                                              

What might change for them with their health as they get older?  

What routine checks do other people who are ageing have as they age?  

Does everyone know what a ‘good day’ looks like for your loved one so people can tell when something is changing?  

Who provides your loved one with emotional and practical help?                 

Who are the important people in their life? 

 What friends and social contacts do they have outside of the family?  

What is likely to change within their family and friends?  

What plans are in place if things change?  

How will they be supported to make new friends and not become lonely as they age and people around them die? 

Does your loved one care for anyone else?  

Does anyone depend on them for anything, however small or insignificant? Would someone miss them doing something for them? 

What support might they need to carry on doing this?  

Will they have to start looking after someone else as they age?  

How might their own health and wellbeing be affected by this?  

What assistive technology (TEC) does your loved one have or use now?  

How can you and they, find out more about new Apps and equipment that could help them stay independent for longer?  

Do you know what TEC other families use to help their loved one? 

Could any new developments (such as telehealth) help them as they grow older?

Who helps your loved one now with managing their money?  

What would happen if that person is unable to carry on doing this? What plans could be put into place ready for any change? 

Is your loved one likely to inherit? Are their plans in place that would help them with this? Is there a trust fund? Would they know what the money could be spent on? 

Do you need more information about wills, trusts or benefits? If so let us know. 

Choice and making decisions –  

Your loved one’s capacity to make decisions may change with age. 

How can they be supported to maintain as much choice as possible, if future changes to support mean that they may have less freedom?  

What views do they have about their future support and care that they’d like people to know now, before things change?  

What are their views and wishes about their future care and support that can be recorded now?  

Think about things that might happen. (Bereavements, change in needs, housing no longer able to meet their needs?)  

Record what your loved one would want to happen in those circumstances. Who would they/you want to help them with that?  

Is there a funeral plan that says who your loved one would like to have their things when they die? 

 What type of celebration of their life would they like there to be?  

Who could help make these decisions if they are unable to? 

What are their views about where they’d like to be cared for or where they would prefer to die? What are your views about this?(??) 

Who might help them think and talk about this if they find it difficult?

Some of these things might be difficult to think and talk about but it is important that people’s wants and wishes are recorded so that  these can be respected when something changes.  

Future Plans can be produced in many formats, similar to those mentioned before for Memory boxes and life stories.   

What would you want to see included in the future plan of the person you care for? 

Click on these links to find out more about how you can support the person you care for to create their own Future Plan for Ageing Well. 

 

Last updated: 08/05/2024