Volume 9, Number 1, November 1997

Choosing Now for the Future

A Report Submitted by Alberta Health

An important new Alberta law, the Personal Directives Act, is scheduled to come into effect soon. The Personal Directives Act allows Albertans to write a legal document outlining their wishes and naming someone, called an agent, to make non-financial decisions for them should they become incapacitated in the future. The benefits of the new law are many:

  • It provides an opportunity for Albertans to take greater control over future personal matters, should the time come when they are not capable of making decisions themselves.
  • If a person is incapacitated, a personal directive can ease the stress on friends and relatives, allowing them to feel confident that the decisions they make are what the person would have wanted.
  • People such as doctors, lawyers, nurses and residential care providers who provide care and services can rely on written instructions or instructions provided by an agent.

While there are many benefits to making a personal directive, it is optional and voluntary. It cannot be used to request assisted suicide, euthanasia or anything else illegal. The Alberta government will be distributing a brochure explaining the new legislation and a booklet explaining the responsibilities of service providers, prior to Proclamation of the Act, tentatively scheduled for December 1, 1997. For copies of these educational materials, please call Alberta Health at (403) 422-9517.

The Proclamation of the Act will be announced across the province through a news release, public service announcements, letters and fact sheets to service providers and other interest groups. After proclamation, the provincial government will also make available the following educational materials in the format of a "self-help kit":

  1. Choosing now for the future: A guide to writing your personal directive,
  2. Choosing now for the future: The duties and obligations of an agent in a personal directive, and
  3. Choosing now for the future: The responsibilities of service providers under the Personal Directives Act.

The Office of the Public Guardian, the provincial body responsible for administering the new Act, will operate a 1-800 telephone line to answer questions. In the meantime, if you need more information, you may call Deborah St. Arnaud at (403) 427-2653.