Enduring Guardianships (EG)
Why should you have an Enduring Guardian?
An enduring guardianship ensures that someone who knows you and your wishes can make the decisions for you about your medical treatment and lifestyle options when you are unable to make these decisions yourself. The guardianship also prevents other people from interfering in those decisions. If you have specific wishes in relation to your medical treatment an enduring guardianship is a way to ensure that these wishes will be taken into account. You can appoint one or more enduring guardians, and you can appoint them together or at different times. Depending on your wishes, they can play different roles in decision-making, or they can all act together on your behalf.
Who should you appoint?
As an enduring guardian will be making important decisions about your medical treatment and lifestyle, you should only choose someone who you trust. You CANNOT appoint someone who is involved in your medical care at the time of appointment, such as your treating doctor or community nurse. An enduring guardianship can be revoked at any time by sending notice of the revocation in writing to the guardian.
What sort of decisions can an enduring guardian make?
Enduring guardians can make personal and lifestyle decisions, and can only consent to treatment that will promote or maintain your health and well-being. Examples of such decisions may include where you live, what health care you receive, and what services you should have. They can also give or withhold consent to medical and dental treatment on your behalf. You may give your enduring guardian specific powers, or you can limit them to acting only in certain matters. You can also give them instructions on how to exercise these powers. It is important to note that you cannot instruct your enduring guardian to do anything that is illegal, such as euthanasia.
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